52 



The National Collection 



surpassingly fine series of mounted heads, skulls and head-skins to match. 

 The horn measurements of the five largest specimens are as follows : 



WHITE SHEEP HEADS 



THE BEAR SKINS AND HEADS 



Skins. It is here that the writer hesitates, and would gladly be excused ; 

 for the gloom surrounding the classification and individual identity of the 

 hears of Alaska is at times impenetrable. For example, who can name the 

 species to which these bears belong (except the Black Bear) without dismount- 

 ing the heads, and taking out the skulls to examine them? 



The largest bear skin is a sad blow to the supremacy of the Kadiak Island 

 Bear, (Ursus middendorffi) , whose title to fame has rested chiefly upon his 

 superior size. Here is a skin taken on the western side of the Alaska Peninsula, 

 in April, 1901, which once was worn by nothing less than an ursine monster. 

 It does not look stretched beyond its proper limits, and I think it is about as 

 Nature made it; which, by the way, is a rare thing in big skins of Alaskan 

 Brown Bears. Usually they are stretched to the limit of possibility, and some- 

 times extra length is obtained at a loss of width which ruins the true propor- 

 tions. 



The huge skin shown in the accompanying plate (Figure 16) measures 9 

 ft. 4 in. in length from end of nose to tip of tail ; 8 ft. 2 in. across front paws, to 

 base of middle claws; and 6 ft. 5 in. in width at the middle of the body, as 

 trimmed and made into a rug. The head measurements are given in the table 

 below, its catalogue number being 145. 



This skin is precisely similar in color to that of the Kadiak Bear, but its 

 head seems to be shorter, especially in the muzzle. It will be remembered that 

 the Kadiak species is marked by an extremely long muzzle, (i. e. the nose, from 



