The "Barren Ground bear" was next to be sought for; but to reach the
haunts of this animal, a long and toilsome journey must be made. That
tract of the Hudson's Bay territory known as the "Barren Grounds,"
extends from the shores of the Arctic Sea as far south as the latitude
of the Churchill river; bounded eastward by Hudson's Bay itself, and
westward by a chain of lakes, of which the Great Slave and Athapescow
are the principal.
This immense territory is almost unexplored to the present hour. Even
the Hudson's Bay trappers have a very imperfect knowledge of it. It has
been crossed in one or two places, and skirted by exploring parties, but
it is still almost a _terra ignota_, except to the four or five tribes
of Indians who dwell around its borders, and the Esquimaux, who venture
a little way into it along the coast of the Arctic Sea.
Before proceeding to hunt the Barren Ground bear, let us say a word
about his species. By writers, both old and modern, he has been
variously classed. Even the ablest naturalist who has written about him
is puzzled as to his species. We speak of Sir John Richardson, the
companion of the lamented Franklin, and himself one of the great men of
the earth. Sir John first regarded this bear, though very doubtfully,
as a variety of the _ursus americanus_, or American black bear. Later
observations influenced him to change this opinion; and again with
modest doubtfulness--characteristic of the man--he suggests his being a
variety of the _ursus arctos_.
We shall make bold to affirm that he is a variety of neither; but a
distinct species of bear.
We shall give our reasons--and first, as to his distinctness from the
_ursus americanus_. He is not like the latter, either in colour, shape
of body, bulk, profile, physiognomy, length of feet or tail. In all
these respects he bears a greater resemblance to the _ursus arctos_, or
even to his nearer neighbour, the grizzly (_ursus ferox_). He differs
from both these, however, in other points--as will presently be seen.
Again, he is of a fiercer disposition than the black bear, and more
dangerous to the hunter--almost as much so as the grizzly, and quite as
much as the brown. Moreover, he dwells in a country in which the black
bear could not make his home. To the existence of the latter, the
forest is essential; and he is never found far out of it. It is not the
higher latitude that keeps him out of the Barren Grounds, but the
absence of timber. This is proved by the fact of his being found quits
as far northward as any part of the Barren Grounds, but where the
limestone formation favours the growth of trees; whereas, among the
primitive rocks to the north of Nelson river, the black bear does not
exist--the very region that appears most favourable to the existence of
the Barren Ground species--who cares not for trees, and cannot climb
them.
Still another material difference may be pointed out. The black bear,
in his normal state, is altogether frugivorous--a true vegetable feeder.
The other is carnivorous and piscivorous--at one season killing and
eating marmots and mice, at another frequenting the sea coast and
subsisting upon fish. In a word, the two bears are as unlike as may
be--they are distinct species.
To compare the Barren Ground bear with the _ursus arctos_. The former
is certainly much more like this species, than he is to the _ursus
americanus_; but again we _encounter_ notable points of difference; and
were it not for a certain resemblance in colour, it is possible the two
kinds would never have been brought into comparison. It is easy,
however, to prove them also distinct species--by simply observing that
their habits are altogether unlike. The _ursus arctos_ is a
_tree-climbing wood bear_: the Barren Ground species is not. The former
prefers a vegetable diet--the latter likes better fish, flesh, and
insects--though he will also fill his stomach with a farrago of
vegetable matters.
But to say nothing of the very different habits of the two animals,
there is a yellowish tinge over the fur of the American species, that is
not observed 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_.