The Natural History of the Polar Bear. 277 



were considerably enlarged, especially in the neighbourhood 

 of the joints ; large outgrowths thoroughly deformed all 

 the bones ; even the sesamoid bones were affected. The 

 bear which was so affected was not old, was a large, well- 

 nourished one ; but it walked, I noticed, a little lame before 

 it was shot. It would thus appear that the wet, cold, and 

 exposure cause this condition in the bear, the same as in 

 man; the bear, being especially exposed to these, is not 

 exempt from the morbid consequences. 



In the course of the three years that we occupied the 

 station at Cape Flora, the continual hunting of these animals 

 appears to have made a sensible difference in their numbers. 

 During the first year, nearly sixty were shot; some escaped 

 but wounded, and others untouched. During the second year, 

 twenty-four were shot ; one or two got away badly wounded, 

 and several others were seen. But during the third year 

 only ten were shot, and about ten to fifteen more were seen. 

 It thus seems as though the hunting them in one locality 

 either sensibly diminishes their number in that part, or else 

 that they learn to know it and avoid it. 



There is one point about which doubt is often cast, and 

 that is the peculiar effects which occur in man after eating 

 the bear's liver. I was myself very sceptical upon that point, 

 but on several occasions one or two of us ate of the liver 

 once or twice, never thinking of any consequences, but in about 

 four or five hours a gradually increasing frontal headache, of 

 a cumulative, congestive type, came on, which nothing would 

 ease. Lying down makes it worse instead of better; one 

 cannot sleep for it ; it gets steadily worse for about six or 

 eight hours; occasionally nausea and vomiting comes on, 

 especially if much has been eaten ; and altogether one is in 

 a most miserable condition. After about this time has 

 passed, the symptoms gradually decrease in severity, until 

 after twenty-four hours have intervened, one is relieved 

 sufficiently to be able to sleep, and upon awakening the 

 headache is gone. Eating bear's kidney seems also occasion- 

 ally to cause the same symptoms, but in a much less degree. 

 Ivory gulls and other birds avoid the liver and kidneys, 

 rarely eating them, and then only sparingly. 



