THE POLAR BEAR. *J\ 



tion of the bear, in consequence of the extreme caution which 

 the female practises in selecting her retreat, has been in a 

 great measure dissipated by the circumstance of the Ameri- 

 can black bear having bred in the Parisian menagerie. Gesta- 

 tion lasts seven months, and the young ones are brought forth 

 in January; they are entirely grey, and without the white 

 collar which characterizes the young of the Euporean brown 

 bear. The period, therefore, which Aristotle has assigned to 

 the latter species, of thirty days, is evidently erroneous. 



With respect to the intellectual faculties of the bear, it has 

 been stated by the naturalist who has been most happy in 

 observations of this kind, that " prudence is the principal 

 trait in the character of the bear ; circumspection cannot be 

 carried beyond the degree in which he manifests it : he re- 

 cedes, whenever he is able, from everything unfamiliar to him; 

 if he is compelled to approach it, he does it slowly, calling 

 in aid all his methods of exploration, and he does not advance 

 until he has become fully assured that the object of his alarm 

 is without danger for him. It is not, however, resolution 

 nor courage that he wants; he seems little susceptible of fear; 

 he is not seen to fly; confident in himself, he resists a threat- 

 ened injury, opposes force to force, and his rage as well as 

 his exertions may become terrible if his life is threatened. 

 But it is especially in defence of their young, that the female 

 bears put forth all the resources of their muscular energies 

 and of their courage : they throw themselves with fury upon 

 every living creature that excites their alarm, and only cease 

 to combat when they cease to exist. 



"What adds in some measure to the merit of their prudence 

 and courage is the singular extent of their intelligence, which 

 seems to take away whatever of a blind mechanical character 

 might be considered to appertain to their other qualities. We 

 know the education which the bears receive from those men 

 who get their living by leading these animals from town to 

 town, and making them perform clumsy dances to the sound 

 of a flageolet ; and we can conceive that by means of chas- 

 tisements and rewards, whilst the animal is compelled to 

 assume the necessary attitudes, that they at length succeed 

 in making him repeat them by word of command. It is by 

 means of these associations that even the most stupid animals 

 can in some degree be instructed. But we have witnessed in 

 many species of bears an education, which was effected freely 

 and by themselves, produce more remarkable results than the 

 compulsatory tuition of which we before knew them to be 

 susceptible. We have observed this in the bears which live 

 in the pits of our menagerie, and are influenced only by the 



