_It is cruelty to animals_ for visitors to throw peanuts, or food of any kind, into our bear dens; and it is _strictly forbidden_. All persons who do not wish to be reprimanded in public, or arrested, are advised to refrain from it. Teasing with food always irritates bears, sets them to fighting, spoils their dispositions and _renders them dangerous to the keepers who have to go in with them_! _All visitors who are law-abiding, and friendly to the Zoological Society, are requested to assist the keepers and policemen in preventing lawless persons from throwing food into the bear dens._ A stern reprimand often prevents serious trouble. [Illustration: POLAR BEARS. Showing a portion of their den and pool cut from the solid rock.] The bears of North America form four well-defined groups, as follows: The Polar Bear. The Grizzly Bear. The Alaskan Brown Bears. The Black Bears, and their allies. Up to this date (April 1, 1913), 24 species and subspecies have been described, and it is reasonably certain that much more work remains to be done on the members of this group of animals before the status of each valid and invalid species will be rendered thoroughly clear. The most noteworthy species are as follows: THE MOST IMPORTANT SPECIES OF NORTH AMERICAN BEARS. _Ursus maritimus_, (Desm.), Polar Bear. Arctic regions generally. The Brown Bears. _Ursus middendorffi_, (Merriam), Kadiak Bear. Kadiak Is., Alaska. _Ursus dalli_, (Merr.), Yakutat Bear. Yakutat Bay, Alaska. _Ursus eulophus_, (Merr.), Admiralty Bear. Admiralty Is., Alaska. _Ursus gyas_, (Merr.), Peninsula Bear. Portage Bay, Alaska Peninsula. The Grizzly Bears. _Ursus Horribilis_, (Ord.), Grizzly Bear: Silver-Tip. Wyoming and Utah to Alaska. _Ursas horribilis horriaeus_, (Baird), Mexican Grizzly. Southwestern New Mexico. _Ursus richardsoni_, (Swainson), Barren-Ground Grizzly. Great Slave Lake region, and Barren-Grounds. The Black Bears. _Ursus americanus_, (Pallas), Black Bear. Eastern North America. _Ursus luteolus_, (Griffith), Louisiana Bear. Louisiana and Texas. _Ursus floridanus_, (Merr.), Everglade Bear. Florida. _Ursus emmonsi_, (Dall), Glacier Bear. St. Elias Alps, Yakutat Bay. _Ursus kermodei_, (Hornaday), Inland White Bear. Northwestern British Columbia.