IV THE BIG GAME OF ALASKA 53 



legs owing to lack of using them for so long. When first 

 they begin to eat grass they scour considerably, and soon 

 lose a lot of fat, so that by the early part of June they are 

 quite thin ; but after a long course of feeding on salmon they 

 become very fat, before returning once more to winter quarters. 



The following photograph shows seven of our picked 

 brown bears' skulls, and a careful study of the photo will 

 reveal a considerable difference between some of the 

 specimens depicted. I venture to try to determine two ot 

 the different species now recognised by the American 

 authorities ; but I much regret that I did not submit the 

 whole lot of skulls and skins to the Museum at Washington 

 to have them properly named, as Mr. Lydekker, who has 

 examined the skulls, informs me that there is not the 

 material at hand in our own National Museum with which 

 to make comparisons and a correct determination of these 

 specimens. * 



I append herewith a list of the measurements of these 

 skulls as numbered in the photograph, together with a few 

 remarks on the locality where each was killed, and the 

 form to which each belongs. The measurements were taken 

 by Mr. Rowland Ward. 



Skull No. I. — Adult female. Hope Bay, Alaska Peninsula. 



Basal length from back to front, 15! inches. 



Width across the zygomatic arches, 9 inches. 



Weight clean, 4 lbs. 8^ oz. 



Zygomatic arches like No. 4, with which the specimen agrees in 

 general characters. 



The dentition is similar to that of No. 2, and I am therefore 

 inclined to think it belongs to Ursus dalli gyas. 

 Skull No. 2. — Very old male. Aniakchak Bay, Alaska Peninsula. 



Basal length from back to front, 17I inches. 



Width across the zygomatic arches, 10 J inches. 



Weight clean, 8 lbs. 4 oz. 



