The Grizzly Bear 367 



tensive with all my travels in Alaska and the British North- 

 west Territory." 



The other side in these opinions is represented by no- 

 body more positively than Alfred G. Brehm (" Thierleben "). 

 So far as one can judge from his work, he knew the animal 

 of which he writes only by report, and if the text of his 

 article is to be taken as an indication of the authorities 

 consulted upon this subject, they were so few that it is not 

 surprising he wandered far from reality. This author's views 

 upon the character of Ursus horribilis may be thus given 

 in English : " In its habits the gray bear is similar to ours ; 

 like these, it hibernates ; but its walk is staggering and 

 uncertain, and all its motions are heavier." Brehm states 

 that in youth the grizzly climbs trees, that he is a good 

 swimmer, "a thorough thief, and is strong enough to over- 

 power every creature in his native country." When lassoed, 

 he can drag up the horse. " Former writers have charac- 

 terized him as a terrible and vicious animal that shows no 

 fear of man, but, on the contrary, pursues him, whether 

 mounted or on foot, armed or unarmed. . . . On all these 

 grounds the hunter who has overcome Old Ephraim, as the 

 bear is called, becomes the wonder and admiration of all 

 mankind," including the Indians. " Among all their tribes 

 the possession of a necklace of bears' claws and teeth gives 

 its wearer a distinction which a prince or successful gen- 

 eral scarcely enjoys among us." He must, however, have 

 slain the animal from which these trophies were taken, 

 himself. " Statements of this nature," remarks Brehm, 

 "are some of them false and others greatly exaggerated. 

 They were spread and believed at a time when the far West 



