MAMMALS OF THE NORTH 73 



The buffalo group gives a typical bit of the prairie traversed by buffalo 



trails while the members of the herd represent different 



stages of groAvth of the buffalo. This is the animal which 



formerly roamed in countless numbers over the Western plains, but which 



is now reduced to a few insignificant herds. 



In the center of the hall, too, is a group showing the color phases 

 of our black bear, from which it appears that in a part of its range 

 the black bear is literally a white bear. 

 ^^ ^" On the north side of the hall is a pair of the huge brown 



Fur Seals ' bears of Alaska, a family of fur seals from the Pribilof 

 Islands and a family of Rocky Mountain goats. 

 At the end of the hall is a group of Roosevelt elk found in the Coast 

 Range from British Columbia to northern California. 

 Roosevelt Elk Once abundant, they have become much reduced in 

 Mountaiii numbers, though an effort is now being made to preserve 



Sheep them. On the opposite side of the hall are the Mountain 



sheep or bighorns. 

 Near by is a group of that interesting animal, the beaver, perhaps the 



„ most important of North American mammals and one 



Beaver 



intimately connected with the early history and explora- 

 tion of this country. 



On the south side of the hall are displayed the cloven-hoofed animals 



of North America. These include sheep, musk ox, caribou, 



n e ope collared peccary and various species of deer. In one of 



the cases is a group of antelope showing the manner in 



which they wander across the plains. 



Here too are, for the time being, shown the mammals of the polar 

 regions, placed in the North American hall in order that the Southeast 

 Pavilion, which once harbored them, may be used as a workroom for the 

 preparation of a group of African elephants and other mammals from 

 the dark continent. 



Grant's caribou inhabits the barren ground of the 



J^^°. ^ _ extreme western end of the Alaskan peninsula. The type 



Caribou Group . . 



specimen of this series is in the Museum. 



Near by is a group of the Atlantic walrus. These huge mammals 



„. , „ are relatives of the seals, inhabit the waters of the Far North 



Walrus Group -n • i 



and are still fairly abundant along the shores of Greenland. 



The seal and walrus are the animals which play such an important part in 



the life of the Eskimo. From these animals come the principal food 



supply, skins for clothing, for fishing and hunting gear, boat covers, and 



harnesses for dog teams; from bones and tusks are made knives, bows, 



harpoons, and other hunting and cooking utensils. 



