with them. They knew that by most
naturalists he is recognised as a variety--by some a permanent one. It
was therefore certainly included in the conditions of their father's
letter; and a skin must be procured _coute qui coute_. This done, they
would have no further business in Lapland, but might proceed at once to
the Pyrenees.

It was not necessary to procure skins of the grey or silver bear, nor
that with the white ring round its neck--known as the ringed or collared
bear. As Alexis had said, it is acknowledged by all who know the _ursus
arctos_ his native haunts, that these are mere accidental varieties.
The true "collared bear" (_ursus collaris_) is not found in Lapland,--
only in northern Asia and Kamschatka, and it is he that is known as the
"Siberian bear." The boys therefore were not "bound" by their covenant
to procure these varieties; but for all that, they were gratified at
going beyond the strict letter of their agreement, which good luck
enabled them to do; for while scouring the country in search of the
_ursus niger_, they chanced upon another brown bear, a female, with
three cubs, one of which was brown, like the mother; the second had the
white ring round its neck, and the third was as grey as a little badger!
All four were taken; and the young hunters not only had the
gratification of being able to send the different varieties of skins to
their father's museum, but an additional satisfaction was afforded to
Alexis, the naturalist, by this grand family capture. It proved
incontestably, what he already suspected, and what, moreover, the native
peasants and hunters had told him, that the "silver" and "ringed" bears
were identical with the _ursus arctos_.

Notwithstanding their joy at the capture of the old she, and her
parti-coloured pets, they were yet very anxious about the black bear.
They had hunted all the forests and mountains for miles around, and had
even succeeded in killing several other specimens of "Brownie," but no
"Blackie" was to be met with.

It had now got known among the native hunters what they were in search
of; and, as they had offered a liberal reward to any one who could guide
them to the haunt or den of a real black bear, it was not unlikely they
should soon hear of one.

In this expectation they were not deceived. About a week after the
offer had been proclaimed, a Finnish peasant (one of the Quans, as they
are called) made his appearance at their headquarters, add ann