

CARNIVORA. 227 



of mischief and of beneficence, which should be 

 deprecated or invoked by offerings, prayers, and 

 ceremonies ; such as smoking tobacco over the body, 

 as soon as one is slain in the chase, breathing the 

 smoke into its nostrils, calling upon its spirit aloud, 

 or by whispering into its dead ears, deprecating 

 wrath for having made it a victim, and imploring 

 its good will during the hunting season; dancing 

 in its honour; and, finally, having communication 

 with the invisible power by the intervention of the 

 tribal medicine man, priest, sachem, wizard, and 

 impostor. 



Similar superstitions are scarcely less in vogue 

 among several nations of the Mongole race in North- 

 ern and Central Asia, and the mummeries of the 

 Pagan Troll of Scandinavia still vibrate with re- 

 sponsive terror in the ears of Christian Northmen of 

 the present time. Heroes and grandees have gloried 

 in the name of Biorn, and two houses, renowned in 

 England and France, still bear the patronymic of 

 Biron, which is generally considered as a mere 

 mutation of the same Biorn, so often in the Latin 

 of the middle ages translated by Ursus. 



It is this fear, respect, or interest, which the ima- 

 gination of mankind confers upon the genus, that 

 caused the denomination to stand, in the north, in 

 similar estimation as the idea of lion is regarded 

 in the south: it made the teeth and claws to be 

 similarly worn in the form of necklaces, and the 

 shaggy skin to be desired for mantles by the brave, 

 as tokens of prowess and victory. To them must 



