THE BEARS 



167 



animal, while a glance at its teeth explains how the polar 

 bears can tear down the heaviest rock, and play havoc 

 with almost any contrivance that man can think of. 



The polar bear has the soles of its feet covered with 

 short bristles or hair, a provision to enable it to walk on 

 the ice. The foot, its principal weapon, is a sixth the 



Fig. 150. —The Black Bear. 



length of the entire body. This huge bear preys upon 

 seals, walruses, and other animals. It is often seen float- 

 ing on ice floes in the polar sea, where it has been 

 trapped. A portion of the year it spends in a state of 

 hibernation, a winter sleep, in which all the functions 

 of life are at an almost complete standstill, the animal 

 drawing upon its reserve supply of fat to sustain Hfe, At 



