86 



MAMMALS OF AMERICA 



Measurements. — Length, male, 8' j to ii feet; 

 height at shoulder, 4i.> leet; weight, looo to 1500 

 pounds, but latter figure seldom attained. Female 

 generally smaller. 



Range. — .-\rctic regions of the world. 



Food — .Seals, fish and any animal food it may catch. 



Remarks. — This Bear may be known at once by its 

 unique color as well as its long neck and body. The 

 form described above is the typical animal of the 

 .Arctic regions, and by some authorities it is considered 

 that there is only one Polar Bear in all the Arctic 

 regions. By others the American Polar Bear is con- 

 sidered a distinct animal, and, in fact, no less than three 



different forms have been described from America. 

 -AH of these, however, dififer in no marked characters 

 from the above, but for the sake of completeness they 

 are listed below. 



Related Species 



Ungava Polar Bear. — Thalarctos maritimus ungav- 

 cnsis Knottnerus-Meyer. Typical animal of above de- 

 scription. Ungava, Canada. 



Greenland Polar Bear. — Thalarctos cogrocnlandi- 

 ctis Knottncrus-Meyer. Greenland. 



Labrador Polar Bear. — 7 halarctos labradorensis 

 Knottnerus-Mever. Labrador. 



The Polar Bear, whether wild or in captivity, 

 is one of the most interesting members of the 

 Bear family. In its native state an inhabitant 

 of the vast solitudes of the Far North, hunting 

 its prey over snowfields and glaciers or in icy 

 waters, it nevertheless bears confinement well. 



one time ; and it is reasonable to conclude that 

 in the immense inaccessible regions of the Arctic, 

 where the animal can breed unmolested, there 

 must be large numbers that pass their existence 

 unknown to and undisturbed by their chief — 

 one might sav. their only enemv — man. 



ijl tlic New Vuik . 



POLAR BEARS 



Two half-grown cubs trying to keep cool in the Zoological Park, New York. Their coats, if frequently washed, 



are almost pure wnite 



and has become a familiar object in our zoologi- 

 cal collections, of which it always proves an 

 attractive feattire. Usually regarded as scarce 

 in comparison with other species of Bear, the 

 Polar Bear is probably more numerous than is 

 generally supposed. On a lone island in the 

 northern part of Bering Sea there were found in 

 the latter part of the last century between 250 

 and 300 Polar Bears, twenty being in view at 



The Polar Bear is equally at home on land or 

 in water. Its hair-covered soles enable it to 

 retain a firm footing on the most slippery sur- 

 faces ; and it has been seen to watch from a 

 projecting piece of ice an unsuspecting seal sun- 

 ning itself on a ledge below, then suddenly to 

 shoot on to the head of its victim, knocking the 

 latter into the water, where it became an easy 

 prey. It is far and away the most powerful. 



