CHAPTER VIII
BEARS

SEVERAL years ago I was informed that an eminent
American authority on bears had decided that there were
considerably over fifty different species on this continent.
He had come to this conclusion after many years’ study
of the subject, during which time he had gathered together,
at vast expense, an enormous collection of skulls, My
informant assured me that if this collection of skulls were
shown me, the differences in the teeth and variations in
skull formation pointed out, and the arguments of this
learned authority listened to, I should be perfectly con-
vineed that there were quite, if not more, than the fifty
species. Possibly this might be the case, but, not having
seen the collection or listened to what would undoubtedly
be a most interesting and plausible lecture, at the present
time I am still unconvinced, and am of the humble opinion
that, at any rate as far as British Columbia is concerned,
there are only two distinct species of bears, the black
and grizzly. In each of these two species there is a
great variation in the size of the animals, the colour of
their coats, and, to some extent, in their habits, but my
belief is that these variations are principally due to
environment. The large brown bear of the Alaskan coast
is seldom or never found in this Province, but our Pro-
vincial Museum recognizes a third species, which is known
as the Ursus kermodei, or Gribble Island bear. About
this so-called species more will be said farther on.

Of all our game there is no other so widely distributed
throughout the Province; there is no spot anywhere
from north to south or from east to west, except in the

centre of the towns, where you are not liable to come
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