no CONSERVATION OF CANADIAN WILD LIFE 



to obtain without much trouble. Scavenging is a favourite 

 occupation, and near human habitations their predilection 

 for garbage is well known. In the autumn they take full 

 advantage of nature's lavish provision of wild fruits. Wild 

 strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, and other 

 small fruits are greedily devoured, together with the more 

 satisfying acorns and beechnuts, which enable them to lay 

 up the necessary store of fat for absorption during the win- 

 ter's rest and enforced fast. In British Columbia I have 

 seen orchards bordering the woods assiduously robbed by 

 bears, which may become a nuisance on this account. 



In spite of its shyness and normal desire to escape when 

 man approaches, the black bear can be a dangerous animal 

 when her cubs are in danger or when the adult animal is 

 wounded or cornered. On such occasions it can prove a 

 formidable foe to an unarmed man. But under ordinary 

 circumstances the black bear is no more to be feared than 

 most of the timid creatures of the woods. 



Kermode's White Bear {Ursus kermodei) 



On the islands of the northern coast of British Columbia, 

 and on the adjacent coast of the mainland, is to be found a 

 white bear. The type specimen was killed on Gribbell 

 Island in May, 1904, by Mr. F. Kermode, the director of 

 the Provincial Museum, Victoria, B. C, after whom the 

 species was named. Mr. Kermode informs me that this 

 interesting species, which is illustrated herewith, is found 

 from South Bentinck Arm to Burke Channel, north along 

 the coast region, including Swindle, Princess Royal, Gribbell, 

 and all the larger islands except the Queen Charlotte group; 

 to Nass River, and up the Skeena River as far as Kitsum- 

 gallimi. 



The records of specimens killed, which are given in the 

 Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, show 



