CHAPTER II. 



ORDER CARNIVORA A CHAPTER ON BEARS THE BLACK BEAR A 

 NIGHT'S SPORT IN LOUISIANA THE GRIZZLY BEAR CAPTAIN 

 BIARCY'S DESCRIPTION OF IT THE POLAR BEAR ITS HABITS 

 AND PECULIARITIES. 



The family next in order is the CARNIVORA, or flesh devour- 

 ing. They fulfil their destined office in the scheme of creation 

 by checking excess in the progress of life, and thus maintain- 

 ing, as it were, the balance of power in the animal world. 



They are characterised by having six conical front teeth in 

 each jaw the molars formed for cutting and tearing, rather 

 than grinding. Of these, the Bears will engross our first 

 attention. 



Description. Teeth adapted for either flesh or vegetable 

 food ; limbs thick and stout ; gait heavy and sluggish ; feet 

 broad ; head large ; tail very short. 



There are only three species of this animal found here, 

 viz. : the Black, the Grizzly, and the Polar or White Bear, 

 though four are usually described ; but the Brown Bear is not 

 to be ranked as an inhabitant of this northern continent ; 

 though it has frequently been mentioned by travellers, yet 

 there is abundant reason to believe that they have mistaken 

 the young of the Black Bear, the accounts of their being 

 seen having been confined to the regions where the black or 

 grizzly bear are found. The bear is an animal of great 

 strength and ferocity, passing a great portion of the winter 

 in a state of torpidity and inaction, in dens or hollow trees. 



THE BLACK BEAR ( Ursus Americanus') is peculiar to this 

 country, his range extending from the shores of the Arctic 

 Sea to the southern extremity of the continent; his food 

 principally consists of grapes, wild fruits, the acorns of the 



