in the brown bears of European countries--except, perhaps,
in those of the Pyrenees--and at certain seasons this tinge turns so
pale, as to give a whitish appearance to the animal: hence, by the
Indians, they are often termed "white bears."

It is, besides, altogether improbable, that the brown bear of Europe
should turn up in the "Barren Grounds" of the Hudson's Bay territory--an
isolated, treeless tract--quite unlike his habitat in the Old World; and
to which no line of migration could be traced with much probability. We
might suppose such a migration through Siberia and Russian America; and
certainly there is some probability in this view: for although it has
been hitherto stated that the Barren Ground bear is only found within
the limits of the peculiar district so called, it is very certain that
his range extends beyond these boundaries. The brown bear of Russian
America and the Aleutian Islands appears to be identical with this
species; and there is a suspicion, that the brown species of Kamschatka
is no other than the Barren Ground bear of the Hudson's Bay. The
fishing habits of the former go some ways towards an identification of
the two species--at the same time separating both from the _ursus
arctos_ of Scandinavia.

It needs hardly to be argued, that the Barren Ground bear is quite a
distinct animal from the grizzly though writers have often confounded
them. They are different in size and colour. Though the grizzly is
sometimes brown, it is always with a mixture of white tipped hairs; but
the most essential distinction is to be found in the greater ferocity of
the latter, and his far longer and more curving claws. Many other
points might be mentioned--showing them to be animals of two separate
species--besides, their range is altogether distinct.

The Barren Ground bear, then, is not the _ursus arctos, americanus_, or
_ferox_. What then? Has he received no specific name from the
naturalists? Not yet. Alexis, however, bestowed one upon him. He
named him after the man who has given the clearest account of his
country and his habits; and whom Alexis deemed most worthy of the
honour. In his journal we find the record. There it is written, that
the Barren Ground bear is the _ursus Richardsonii_.

CHAPTER FORTY SEVEN.

BRUIN TAKING A BATH.

To seek the haunts of this new species of bear, I have said that our
hunters would have a long journey to make--even so far as the Great
Slave Lake--for