88 FLESH-EATERS 



The bears of North America constitute four distinct 

 groups, as follows: 



POLAR BEAR, of the far North. White. Very large. 



BIG BROWN BEARS, of Alaska. Light brown. Very large. 



GRIZZLY BEARS, Mexico to Alaska. Gray or brown. Me- 

 dium to very large. 



BLACK BEARS, North America generally, from Mexico to 

 Alaska. Black or brown. Medium size, and large. 



To most persons, the second group of this series is quite 

 new, and for several reasons its members are of unusual 

 interest. 



i 

 The Polar Bear 



THE POLAR BEAR stands alone in its genus. It is the 

 king of the frozen North, and its robe is pure white all the 

 year round. It inhabits the coasts of the Arctic Ocean, all 

 around the pole, and wanders over the arctic islands and the 

 great ice-fields almost as far north as man has ever gone. 

 Nansen saw its tracks at Latitude 84, its farthest north. 



As a rule, the Polar Bear follows the edge of the great 

 ice-pack, for the sake of the seals and walruses which move 

 with it, north in summer, and south in winter. He seldom 

 travels more than a day's journey inland on any shore. His 

 food consists chiefly of seals, walruses, fish, and dead whales; 

 at times of vegetable matter. 



In 1874, when Mr. Henry W. Elliott and Lieutenant 

 Maynard visited St. Matthew Island, a lonely bit of treeless 



