THE BEAR. 



157 



there are few more formidable foes. Bears are fond of 

 sweets, the Asiatic as well as the American species both 

 hunting diligently for the hives of wild bees, which their 

 thick coats enable them to take in defiance of the efforts of 

 their indignant owners. In captivity the animal is readily 

 tamed. Unfortunately the bear 

 possesses but few qualities that 

 would render him of great use 

 to man ; had it been otherwise, 

 doubtless it would have been 

 tamed and kept in herds, for 

 there seems no reason what- 

 ever why it should not have 

 been as completely domesti- 

 cated as the sheep and the ox. 

 As, however, its hair is too 

 coarse for working up into 

 textile fabrics, and its milk- 

 giving capacity is small, man 

 has viewed it solely as an 

 animal for the chase, and has 

 hunted it down ceaselessly, the 

 cubs only being occasionally 

 preserved for exhibition in the 

 Zoological Gardens, or with 



travelling showmen. In the latter case the bear shows great 

 docility, readily learning to obey its master, and frequently 

 manifesting a lively affection for him. 



Next only to the monkey, the bear is unquestionably the 

 most human of animals in its motions and gestures. In a 

 state of nature, indeed, it rarely rises to its hind feet except 



