526 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1909. 
Along the Arctic and Bering Sea coast white foxes abound, and 
blue foxes are found from the mouth of the Yukon River southward, 
their center of abundance being Nelson Island, in Bering Sea, near 
the mouth of the Kuskokwim River. 
Bear.—Bear are extremely abundant in Alaska, especially on the 
Pacific coast. Their great numbers are probably due to the fact 
that they have an abundant food supply in the great schools of 
salmon that ascend the rivers. Before the arrival of the salmon, 
these bear, like the grizzhes of our own Rockies, fed on spermophiles 
and grass. During the salmon season they are easily found and 
killed by hunters, and as this occurs during the summer season, their 
fur is of very little value. The period of the salmon run, in fact the 
entire summer, should be made a closed season for bear throughout 
this district. Owing to the recent decline in the price of bear skins 
these splendid animals have been hunted rather less than formerly. 
The black bear occur in Vancouver and Queen Charlotte islands, 
‘but, as far as I know, do not occur in any of the large islands north. 
They are, however, found along the mainland of the southeastern 
coast, and found everywhere throughout the interior in the timbered 
region. The blue or glacier bear is found rarely around the glaciers 
of the Mount St. Elias region. 
Grizzlies occur in considerable numbers along the mainland of the 
coast as far north as Skagway, and are found in relatively small 
numbers throughout the interior. There are very few grizzly bear 
on the Seward Peninsula, and I was unable to get any skulls or to 
obtain any definite data concerning them. This bear may prove an 
interesting type if a sufficient series of specimens could be obtained. 
There is a huge bear found on the large islands around Juneau and 
Sitka which has been described as a separate species, and its numbers 
are indicated by the fact that about 75 animals, the majority being 
of this species, are killed annually around Juneau. 
The brown bear group extends from this point westward along the 
south coast of Alaska, out into the Alaska Peninsula. Several species 
have been described; but they can all be safely grouped together under 
the common designation of Alaska brown bear. They extend far up 
the Copper River, but I could not obtain any definite record of the 
occurrence of members of this group north of the mountain region 
and in the area drained by the Yukon. 
Polar bear occur quite abundantly north of Bering Straits. Occa- 
sionally they are found on the Seward Peninsula, and occur as far 
south as St. Matthew Island, in the middle of Bering Sea. 
Caribou.—Caribou of several species are found more or less numer- 
ously throughout Alaska, and occur in herds around the upper 
Yukon, with localities of especial abundance, such as the head 
of Forty Mile River. An examination of the antlers found at 
