FOOTNOTES:
[124] The notes to this chapter within brackets are by Mr. Edward A. Preble of the United States Biological Survey.
[125] See pages [255], [164], [235], and [254].
[126] This is the so-called elk or wapiti, Cervus canadensis Erx., formerly abundant from the west side of Lake Winnipeg north-westward to the Peace River region.
[127] The wolves of the wooded country belong to the species to which the name Canis occidentalis of Richardson seems applicable; those of the Barren Grounds, which are frequently white, may be considered as subspecifically separable under the name Canis o. albus Sabine (type locality, Fort Enterprise, North-West Territory).
[128] Vulpes lagopus innuitus Merriam. This name is applicable to the Arctic foxes of the American mainland. They are larger than and differ in cranial characters from the typical animal of Lapland.
[129] See Pennant, "Arct. Zool.," i. p. 43, 1784, where this statement is credited to Mr. Graham. While Hearne is probably right about the foxes appearing every season, yet at intervals of a few years there is an incursion of more than ordinary numbers, and on these occasions the species reaches farther south than usual.
[130] The Canada Lynx, Lynx canadensis Kerr, is of general distribution throughout the wooded country, and occasionally in summer extends its wanderings for a short distance into the Barren Grounds.
[131] Thalarctos maritimus (Phipps). This species, of circumpolar distribution, keeps closely to the sea-coasts, and reaches the southern extremity of Hudson Bay, probably the most southern point of its present distribution.
[BY] It is rather singular that the Polar Bears are seldom found on the land during the Winter, on which account it is supposed they go out on the ice, and keep near the edge of the water during that season, while the females that are pregnant seek shelter at the skirts of the woods, and dig themselves dens in the deepest drifts of snow they can find, where they remain in a state of inactivity, and without food, from the latter end of December or January, till the latter end of March; at which time they leave their dens, and bend their course towards the sea with their cubs; which, in general, are two in number. Notwithstanding the great magnitude of those animals when full grown, yet their young are not larger than rabbits, and when they leave their dens, in March, I have frequently seen them not larger than a white fox, and their steps on the snow not bigger than a crown-piece, when those of their dam measure near fifteen inches long and nine inches broad. They propagate when young, or at least before they are half-grown; for I have killed young females not larger than a London calf, with milk in their teats; whereas some of the full grown ones are heavier than the largest of our common oxen. Indeed I was once at the killing of one, when one of its hind feet being cut off at the ankle, weighed fifty-four pounds. The males have a bone in their penis, as a dog has, and of course unite in copulation; but the time of their courtship is, I believe, not exactly known: probably it may be in July or August, for at those times I have often been at the killing of them, when the males were so attached to their mistresses, that after the female was killed, the male would put his two fore-paws over, and suffer himself to be shot before he would quit her. I have frequently seen and killed those animals near twelve leagues from the land; but as the Fall of the year advances, they are taught by instinct to seek the shore. Though such a tremendous animal, they are very shy of coming near a man; but when closely pursued in the water, they frequently attack the boat, seize the oars, and wrest them from the hands of the strongest man, seeming desirous to get on board; but the people on those occasions are always provided with fire-arms and hatchets, to prevent such an unwelcome visit. The flesh of this animal, when killed in Winter, (if not too old,) is far from being unpleasant eating; and the young cubs, in the Spring, are rather delicate than otherwise. The teats of the female are only two in number, and are placed between the fore-legs. The best Drawing of this Animal I have seen, is that done by Mr. Webber, among the Plates of Cook's last Voyage.