2  Fretp Musuem or Natura History — Zoétoey, Vou. X. 
It is evident, therefore, that this peculiar bear is practically in- 
termediate in color between the glacier bear (emmonsi) and the pure 
black bear (americanus). By some, no doubt, it would be regarded 
as a hybrid and this it may very well be, but with the present.limited 
knowledge of Ursus emmonsi as a species, any conclusion in regard 
to it is somewhat hypothetical. In casting about for an explanation 
of the peculiarity of this specimen, other than that of hybridity, one 
finds some probability in the idea that Ursus emmonsi may not be a 
species nor even a subspecies but only a color phase of Ursus amert- 
canus. It should be emphasized perhaps that such an idea is distinctly 
hypothetical and of value only as a possible alternative to be kept in 
mind in judging such facts as may be disclosed from time to time in 
the future. 
Many circumstances in addition to our specimen lend probability 
to the view that the glacier bear may be a color phase. Since its 
discovery some fifteen years ago, scattering skins more or less similar 
to those seen by the original describer have found their way to various 
American museums and private collectors. The total number is very 
small, perhaps not exceeding fifteen,* in spite of the recent activity 
of travelers and collectors on the coast of Alaska. Of this small 
number, the majority are imperfect and nearly all are unaccompanied 
by skulls or with imperfect ones only. The number of authentic 
observations regarding the habits and distribution of this interesting 
bear is still smaller and our entire knowledge of it, therefore, is ex- 
ceedingly incomplete. All the specimens thus far received are from 
a small part of the coast of Alaska, extending approximately from 
Lynn Canal to Cape St. Elias. The fact that this is a region of great 
glaciers caused the animal to be called the glacier bear and from this 
the idea soon prevailed that it lived exclusively in and about the 
glaciers and had otherwise remarkable habits. The same region is 
inhabited also by black and brown bears, both of which, especially 
the former, are frequently found on or near the glaciers. In fact, 
from such evidence as can be obtained from the inhabitants of the 
region, both white and Indian, there is not the slightest foundation 
for the belief that the habits of the so-called glacier bear differ in any 
way from those of the ordinary black bear of the coast of Alaska. 
So far as can be judged by material now available, there is no 
proof that the glacier bear differs from the black in cranial characters, 
such fragmentary skulls as have been received being identical in every 
*My own observation includes only eight, all in public museums, but 
several hy known to be in private hands and doubtless a few others have been 
preserved. 
