THE BEAR. 147 



paw, and deliberately retired. After having eaten the piece 

 he had carried away with him, he returned. The noose, 

 with another piece of kreng, having been replaced, he pushed 

 the rope aside, and again walked triumphantly off with the 

 bait. A third time the noose was laid ; but, excited to caution 

 by the evident observations of the bear, the sailors buried 

 the rope beneath the snow, and laid the bait in a deep 

 hole dug in the centre. The animal once more approached, 

 and the sailors were assured of their success. But Bruin, 

 more sagacious than they expected, after snuffing about the 

 place for a few moments, scraped the snow away with his 

 paw, threw the rope aside, and again escaped unhurt with 

 his prize." 



The polar bear displays a great love for its young and 

 many pathetic stories are told of its rage and grief at 

 the loss of them. The following is from Captain Brown's 

 " Anecdotes of Animals. " "A Greenland bear, with two cubs 

 under her protection, was pursued across a field of ice by a 

 party of armed sailors. At first, she seemed to urge the 

 young ones to increase their speed, by running before them, 

 turning round, and manifesting, by a peculiar action and 

 voice, her anxiety for their progress; but, finding her pursuers 

 gaining upon them, she carried, or pushed, or pitched them 

 alternately forward, until she effected their escape. In throwing 

 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 advance, they ran ' onwards, until 

 she overtook them, when they alternately adjusted themselves 

 for another throw." 



The Black The Black Bear (Ursus Americanus) is about 

 Bear. f our an( j a half feet long and three feet high. 

 He has long feet terminating in five claws each. His body 

 is short with longish legs, and he has a large head, with small 

 eyes, and a sharp nose. He has long, soft and woolly hair. 

 His food is chiefly fruit, such as acorns, chestnuts, grapes, 



