THE POLAR BEAR. 409 
When it walks, its fore-feet cross over each other, like those of an accomplished skater 
when accomplishing the “cross-roll,” but when it remains in a standing attitude its feet 
are planted at some distance from each other. 
These Bears seem to be very liable to the loss of their incisor teeth, and even in the 
skulls of very young animals the teeth have been so long missing that their sockets have 
been filled wp by nature as if no teeth had ever grown there. On account of this curious 
deficiency, the first specimen which was brought to England was thought to be a gigantic 
sloth, and was classed among those animals under the name of Br ‘adypus Upcreae or 
Ursine Sloth. In one work it was candidly described as the Anonymous Animal. Other 
names by which it is known are the Jungle Bear, and the Labiated or Lipped Bear. 
This last-mentioned title has been given to the animal in consequence of the extreme 
mobility of its long and flexible lips, which it can protrude or retract in a very singular 
manner, and with which it contorts its countenance into the strangest imaginable 
grimaces ; especially when excited by the exhibition of a piece of bun, an apple, or other 
similar dainty. It is fond of sitting in a semi-erect position, and of twisting its nose and 
lips about in a peculiarly rapid manner in order to attract the attention of the bystanders, 
and ever and anon, when it fails to attract the eyes of its visitors, it slaps the lips smartly 
together, in hopes to strike their sense of hearing. 
When captured young, it is easily tamed, and can be taught to perform many curious 
antics at the bid of its master. For this purpose it is often caught by the native mounte- 
banks, who earn an easy subsistence by leading their shagey pupil through the country, 
and demanding small sums of money for the exhibition of its qualities. On account of 
its association with these wandering exhibitors, it has been called by the French naturalist 
“Ours Jongleur.” Whether owing to the natural docility of the animal, or to the superior 
powers of its instructor, it pei rforms feats which are more curious and remarkable than the 
ordinary run of performances that are achieved by the Learned Bears of our streets. 
In either case, it is always a saddening sight, for, however ingenious may be the 
instructor, or however docile the pupil, the unnatural performances of the poor animal 
always seem to be out of place. We have no right to attempt to humanize a Bear or any 
other animal; for in so doing we are ane it from working the task which it wa 
placed in the world to fulfil. The ay be said of every animal—is the eo 
of a divine idea in the mind of the Cr Thon and it ought to be our business to aid the 
creature in developing that idea as far as possible, and not to check its development by 
substituting some other idea of our own, which, with all we can do, must necessarily be a 
false one. Even the imprisoned Bears which mount a tall pole for the purpose of obtaining 
cakes and fruit from their visitors, are performing their mission much more truly than the 
most accomplished Bear that ever traversed the country, and are, in consequence, much 
more agreeable to the eye of any one who values the animal creation on account of the 
moral qualities which are implanted in them from their birth, for us to develop to their 
highest extent, and in which we may read an ever living word proceeding from the ever- 
creating hand of God. 
Moreover, all those who in studying natural history desire to look deeper than the 
surface, and to direct their attention rather to the inward being of the various animals than 
to their outward forms, will find that every creature in which is the breath of life has 
a physical, a moral, and sometimes ¢ spiritual analogy with the more expanded organisms 
of humanity, and owes its position among created beings to that very analogy. In every 
human being are comprised all the mental characteristics that are outw ardly embodied in 
the various Tmembers of the animal kingdom, and it is impossible to mar k any attribute 
of the lower animals which does not find a further and a higher development in the 
human existence in one or other of its manifestations. 
This subject is too wide to receive even a cursory notice in the present article, but 
will be again taken up on a future page. 
There is generally an aquatic member of each group of animals throughout the 
vertebrate kingdom, and among the Bears this part is filled by the NENNOOK, or PoLAR 
BEAR, sometimes called, on account of its beautifully silvery fur, the WHITE Brar, As 
