ZOOLOGY. — POLAR-BEAR. — ANECDOTES. 521 



young ones to an increase of speed, by running be- 

 fore them, turning round, and manifesting, by a pe- 

 culiar action and voice, her anxiety for their pro- 

 gress ; but finding her pursuers gaining upon them, 

 she carried, or pushed, or pitched them alternately 

 forward, until she effected their escape. In throw- 

 ing them before her, the little creatures are said to 

 have placed themselves across her path, to receive 

 the impulse ; and, when projected some yards in ad- 

 vance, they ran onwards uncil she overtook them, 

 when they alternately adjusted themselves for a se- 

 cond throw. 



Several instances of peculiar sagacity in these ani- 

 mals have been observed. 



A seal, lying on the middle of a large piece of ice, 

 with a hole just before it, was marked out by a bear 

 for its prey, and secured by the artifice of diving 

 under the ice, and making its way to the hole by 

 which the seal was prepared to retreat. The seal, 

 however, observed its approach, and plunged into 

 the water ; but the bear instantly sprung upon it, 

 and appeared, in about a minute afterwards, with 

 the seal in its mouth. 



The captain of one of the whalers being anxious 

 to procure a bear, without wounding the skin, made 

 trial of the stratagem of laying the noose of a rope 

 in the snow, and placing a piece of kreng within it. 

 A bear, ranging the neighbouring ice, was soon en- 

 ticed to the spot, by the smell of burning meat. 



