$200
FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, U. S. A.
POLAR BEAR
Thalarctos maritimus (Phipps)
This is the aquatic member of the bear family. It is confined to the extreme
north where it dwells among the ice floes, only reaching warmer seas when it is
occasionally an unwilling passenger on a mass of ice which has broken away from
the main body and drifted southward. It is a great swimmer and has been seen
in the open sea many miles from land. Its favorite prey is the seal, which it catches
by lying in wait at the seal's breathing holes or by sneaking up while the seals
lie asleep on the ice. It also eats much carrion and will often feast for days upon
the stranded carcass of a dead whale.
Hudson Bay Region.
Group prepared by C. E. Akeley.
