Wild Sheep a?id Bears of the Old and New World. 7 1 



Again, the Big-horn is said to inhabit the continent as far 

 north as Alaska, opposite which is Siberia, the head-quarters of 

 the Ovis Ammon. I shall, therefore, be in no ways surprised 

 if further researches show the two sheep to be one and the 

 same species. 



The connections between the Barren Ground Bear of 

 Richardson and the Brown Bear of Europe and northern Asia 

 on the one hand, and the so-called Isabel-coloured Bear of the 

 Himalayas on the other, are so close that naturalists have 

 agreed on the first being equal to the second ; such being the 

 case, I have still smaller doubts, from careful comparisons, that 

 the, second is also equal to the third. Thus the Ursus Arctos 

 at one time or other in its history roamed over the most part of 

 Europe, Asia, and the boreal regions of America. As to the 

 specific distinctions between the beaver of Europe and North 

 America and the fossil remains met with in both continents, 

 there is no one who has even read up the literature of this 

 subject but must feel very much disposed to come to the 

 conclusion that in these cases the evidence shows distinctions 

 without differences. 



The Black Bear has maintained its position in the forest 

 tracts of the North American continent better than many far 

 less persecuted animals ; indeed, although very much dimi- 

 nished in numbers now, and within even a quarter of a 

 century, still in the large tracts of primeval forests towards 

 the sources of the St. John and Miramachi rivers it is not in 

 any way uncommon ; indeed, even around the larger towns an 

 occasional individual may be seen in autumn feeding on rasp- 

 berries and other fruits. Bears are all great wanderers, unless 

 when old age compels them to restrict their movements and 

 select their retreats. I visited a forest tract near the sources 

 of the Miramachi, where the old " dead falls "* and numerous 

 remains of sable traps showed that both animals had abounded 



* Heavy logs made to fall on the animal when passing under them. 



