52 VERTEBRATES: MAMMALS. 



the hair is comparatively soft and . glossy. Under ordi* 

 nary circumstances this bear is not very ferocious, seldom 

 attacking man unless wounded or much excited by hunger. 

 The Black Bear subsists upon roots, berries, and living 

 animals. The Cinnamon Bear of the Rocky Mountains 

 and Oregon is probably a variety of this species. 



The White or Polar Bear, U. maritimus. Linn., of the 

 Arctic regions of both hemispheres, is eight feet long, 

 and attains the weight of one thousand to fifteen hun- 

 dred pounds. It is snow-white, wholly carnivorous, and 

 feeds upon seals and other animals. 



PHOCID^:, OR SEAL FAMILY. This Family comprises 

 amphibious mammals, the Seals and the Walrus. 

 Though they spend more or less time upon the land, 

 their home is in the sea. They have an elongated, 

 muscular, flexible body, clothed with short thickly-set 

 hair. Their locomotive appendages are the same in 

 number as those of other Carnivora, but are so enveloped 

 in the general covering of the body that the only service 

 they can render upon land is to enable the animal to 

 crawl ; but, as the intervals of the toes are filled with a 

 stout membrane, they become excellent paddles for swim- 

 ming. The hind locomotive members project backwards 

 nearly on a line with the body, and appear to the casual 

 observer somewhat like the tail of a fish placed horizon- 

 tally. Their toes are all terminated with pointed nails. 



The Genus PJwca is the one in which Linnaeus included 

 all the seals, but later the various species have been dis- 

 tributed among several genera. 



Seals have six or four incisors above, four or two below, 

 canines and grinders to the number of twenty-two or 

 twenty-four, all trenchant or conical, and without any 

 tuberculous part whatever. The head resembles that 

 of the dog, whose intelligence and expressive look it 

 also possesses. Seals are easily tamed, and soon become 



