434 MR. H. SCHERREN ON HYBRID BEARS. [Apr. 23, 



Garten auch eine GrisJybarin (U./erox) die in giiicklichster Ehe 

 mit einem Braunbaren ( U. arctos) lebte, unci wiederholt von ihm 

 mit Erfolg gedeckt wurde. Die Jungen glichen deni Vater und 

 batten ganz den Typns des Braiinbaren." 



Dr. Scbaff, who has been Director since 1893, can find no trace 

 of these hybrids, but has kindly promised to make enquiries. 



The hybrids now in the Society's Gardens were born in the 

 Garden which formerly belonged to Herr Nill, who bred hybrids 

 between Polar and Brown Bears since 1874. His original stock 

 consisted of a Polar Bear <S , about 3| years old, and a Brown 

 Bear 5 ? ^ year younger. Having shown a friendly disposition 

 to each other, playing as freely as they could through the bars, 

 the experiment was made of putting them together, with the best 

 results. In the summer of 1875 copulation was observed, and on 

 January 9, 1876, two cubs were thrown, which were quite white. 

 The colour, however, soon changed to a silver grey with a bluish 

 tinge, and by the summer to dark brown with a similar tinge. 

 There was no sign of the whitish neck- or nape-band, generally 

 more or less noticeable in young Brown Bears ; and by the end 

 of the summer the coats were yellowish white. Two other cubs 

 were born from the same parents on January 14, 1877, and the 

 following report on them by Dr. Steudel and Herr E. v. Martens * 

 is worth quoting in full : — 



" Die beiden halbjahrigen sind gegenwartig vorherrschend 

 graubraun, doch etwas ungleichmassig, die Kehlgegend in ihrer 

 ganzen Ausdehnung aufiallig hell fast weisslich. Die beiden 

 anderthalbjahrigen sind viel heller, Riicken und Seiten isabell- 

 farbig, ein dunkelbrauner Mittelstreifen, bei dem einen ziemlich 

 breit iiber den ganzen Riicken sich erstreckend bei dem andern 

 nur in vorderen Theil schwach angedeutet, Oberseite des KopfeF 

 hellbraun, Unterseite des Kopfes und Rumpfes weisslich, alle vier 

 Extremitaten noch ziemlich dunkelbraun." 



Two other lots of cubs were born from the same parents ; and 

 then one of the female hybrids was paired with the Polar Bear 

 (her sire), and produced in succession several litters of three- 

 quarter blood Polar Bears. The old female Brown Bear was 

 given a mate of her own species, and produced normal cubs. It 

 was established that the half-blood Polars were fertile inte?^ se, as 

 were the females with a pure Brown male. 



The original Polar Bear died in the summer of 1898, and the 

 female Brown Bear, which had thrown more than fifty cubs, was 

 shot when the Garden was closed in 1906. At that time the 

 hybrids (Polar and Brown) now in the Society's Gardens were 

 purchased. Both are females, one half- and the other three- 

 quarter Polar. The half-blood was born in December 1893, and 



* ' Zoologisclier Garten,' 1877, p. 402. 



