The Grizzly Bear 353 



Geographically they are nearly cosmopolitan. Their 

 species, although not numerous, inhabit arctic and tropical 

 regions, and live in the lowlands of Europe, Asia, and 

 America, as well as among the mountains of both conti- 

 nents. 



The grizzly bear is confined to the New World, and there 

 is distributed from about 6"^° north to the southern border 

 of the United States, chiefly in the main chain of the 

 Rocky Mountains and on their eastern and western slopes, 

 but also among the ranges between these and the Pacific. 

 It has been called by many names. Lewis and Clark, who 

 may be said to have discovered this animal, speak of it 

 indifferently as the white and brown bear. Cuvier said 

 he was not satisfied that any specific distinction existed 

 between the latter and our grizzly, which has also been 

 identified with Sir John Richardson's "barren-ground" 

 species of the Atlantic area. Audubon supposes Ursiis 

 horribilis to have formerly inhabited this province, but the 

 only basis for such an opinion is found in his interpretation 

 of some Algonkin traditions. The present title — horrible, 

 frightful, or terrible bear — is a translation into Latin of 

 George Ord's name grisly, given in 181 5. As it is com- 

 monly written, however, its significance is lost, the refer- 

 ence being to color instead of character. Dr. Elliott 

 Coues and others have remarked upon this discrepancy, 

 but it is now too late to make a change. The naturalist 

 Say ("Long's Expedition to the Rocky Mountains") first 

 described this species, although its physical features are 

 well given by Captains Lewis and Clark, and it was men- 

 tioned before their time. Since then the animal's dimen- 



