92 NORTHERN ZOOLOGY. 
the shoulders and flanks are, in the summer season at least, covered with long 
hair, which is frequently very pale towards the tips. The Indians and interpreters, 
who are not very precise in their application of the few terms they have to express 
varieties of colour, often denominate them ‘‘ White Bears.’’ Hearne calls them 
‘‘ Grizzly Bears,” and some confusion has been produced by late writers having 
applied the same name to Lewis and Clark’s Ursus ferox. Pennant, who 
describes them as a variety of the American Black Bear, considers them at the 
same time to be of the same species with the ‘Silver Bear’’ that inhabits the 
north of Europe. It is, indeed, very probable, that the Brown Bear which 
Captain King informed Pennant was an inhabitant of Kamskatka, is of this 
species, which may, in fact, extend all.along the north of the old continent; 
but this, in the present state of our knowledge, is mere matter of conjecture. 
Mention is made in the narrative of Cook’s third voyage * of Bears of a brown 
or sooty colour inhabiting the American coast near Cook’s river. Langsdorff 
also informs us that Brown and Red Bears are abundant on the Aleutian Islands, 
where the Black Bear does not exist t. These authors do not furnish us with 
any details whereby the species may be determined ; but the Bears they mention 
live in similar districts with the Barren-ground Bear, and differ in that respect 
‘from the Ursus ferox, which exists principally, perhaps only, in the buffalo 
districts. 
The Indians dread the Barren-ground Bears, and are careful to avoid burning 
bones in their hunting encampments, lest the smell should attract them. 
Keskarrah, an old Indian mentioned in the Narrative of Captain Franklin’s first 
Journey, was seated at the door of his tent, pitched by a small stream not far 
from Fort Enterprise, when a large Bear came to the opposite bank, and 
remained for some time apparently surveying him. Keskarrah considering him- 
self to be in great danger, and having no one to assist him but his aged wife, made 
a speech to the following effect: ‘‘Oh Bear! I never did you any harm; I have: 
always had the highest respect for you and your relations, and never killed any of 
them except through necessity. Go away, good Bear, and let me alone, and I 
promise not to molest you.” The Bear walked off; and the old man, fancying 
that he owed his safety to his eloquence, favoured us, on his arrival at the fort, 
with his speech at length. The Copper Indians often cautioned us against 
these “ White Bears” of the barren lands, which they said would attack us if 
they saw us, but we received no such caution in travellmg through the districts 
* Coox’s Third Voyage, vol. ii. p. 376. + Lanesporrr’s Travels, vol. ii. p. 74. 
