ALASKAN BEAR. 153 



hunters, whose occupation he naturally re- 

 gards as a catering to his wants. He is also 

 glad of the whale carcasses often found 

 floating in the Arctic seas, and travelers 

 have seen as many as twenty bears busily 

 discussing the huge body of a dead whale- 

 bone whale. 



"As the Polar bear is able to obtain food 

 all through the Arctic winter, there is not 

 the same necessity, as in the case of the 

 vegetable-eating bears, for hibernating. In 

 fact, the males and young females roam 

 about through the whole winter, and only 

 the older females retire for the season. 

 These according to the Eskimo account, 

 quoted by Captain Lyon are very fat at 

 the commencement of winter, and on the 

 first fall of snow lie down and allow them- 

 selves to be covered, or else dig a cave in 

 a drift, and then go to sleep until the 

 spring, w r hen the cubs are born. By this 

 time the animal's heat has melted the snow 

 for a considerable distance, so that there is 

 plenty of room for the young ones, who 



