138 



NATURE S TEACHINGS. 



the Bear rushes down to it, seizes the rock, and hammers away 

 at the head until the skull is broken. A fat feast follows. 

 Unless the Bear is very hungry, it eats only the blubber of the 

 walrus, seal, and whale." 



IMITATION. 



As is the case with the Norwegians, the Esquimaux have 

 the greatest respect for the intellectual as well as the bodily 

 powers of the Bear, and avowedly imitate it in its modes of 

 hunting. One of these methods will now be mentioned. 



It must first be premised that the Seal is a most wary 

 animal, and when it lies down on the shore to sleep, it takes 

 its repose by snatches, lifting up its head at very short inter- 

 vals, looking all round in search of foes, and then composing 

 itself to rest again. To approach so cautious an animal is 

 evidently a difficult task, but the Bear is equal to it. The 

 following is Captain Hall's account : 



" From the Polar Bear the Innuits (i.e. Esquimaux) learn 

 much. 



" The manner of approaching the Seal, which is on the ice 

 by its hole, basking in the sunshine, is from him. The Bear 



POLAE BEAR HUNTING SEAL. 



ESQUIMAUX HUNTING SEAL. 



lies down and crawls by hitches towards the Seal, 'talking' 

 to it, as the Innuits say, until he is within striking distance, 

 when he pounces upon it with a single jump. The natives say 

 that if they could * talk ' as well as the Bear, they could catch 

 many more Seals. 



" The procedure of the Bear is as follows. 



" He proceeds very cautiously towards the black speck, far 

 off on the ice, which he knows to be a Seal. When still a loi)g 



