CHAPTER IV 



the big game of alaska 



Bears 



Although It has not been my Intention to make this book 

 in any way a scientific treatise oh the game animals of 

 Alaska, I consider that the work would not be regarded as 

 complete without some passing mention of their places in 

 scientific classification and the local distribution of the various 

 kinds of big game. Starting, then, with the bears, I shall 

 briefly attempt to throw some light on the subject, on which 

 I must confess that I was hopelessly confused after paying 

 one visit to Washington, where I examined numerous speci- 

 mens of the brown bears that came from different parts of 

 Alaska. I am indebted to Dr. Hart Merriam, Dr. T. S. 

 Palmer, and Mr. W. Osgood, of the Biological Survey Ofifice, 

 Washington, for much useful Information on the subject. 

 The last-named gentleman earned my special gratitude by 

 spending a considerable time in showing me the museum 

 specimens, and supplying me with the substance of many 

 of the notes which follow. 



Mr. Osgood writes, in one of his letters to me : " We 

 proceed very slowly in getting exact knowledge of these 

 bears, and there are many points about them which we 

 would be glad to learn ourselves." 



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