Snow, and the Quality of Whiteness. 123 
was only my strangeness to the sea which pre- 
vented the sight of its whiteness from affecting me 
profoundly: animism in me is strongest with 
regard to terrestrial phenomena, with which I am 
more familiar. 
To return, before concluding this chapter, to the 
subject of white animals. And first a word or two 
concerning the great polar bear: is it not probable 
that the extreme fear it inspires, which is said by 
those who have encountered this animal to exceed 
greatly that which is experienced at the sight of 
other savage beasts that are dangerous to man, is 
due to its association with the death-like repellent 
whiteness and desolation of polar scenery ? 
With regard to abnormal whiteness in animals 
that are familiar to us, the sight always affects us 
strangely, even in so innocent and insignificant a 
creature ag a starling, or blackbird, or lapwing. 
The rarity, conspicuousness, and abnormality in 
colour of the object are scarcely enough to account 
for the intensity of the interest excited. Among 
savages the distinguishing whiteness is sometimes 
regarded as supernatural: and this fact inclines me 
to believe that, just as any extraordinary phe- 
nomenon produces a vague idea of someone acting 
with a given purpose, so in the case of the white 
animal, its whiteness has not come by accident and 
chance, but is the result of the creature’s volition 
and the outward sign of some excellence of the 
intelligent soul distinguishing it from its fellows. 
In Patagonia I heard of a case bearing on this 
