THE POLAR BEAR. 245 



and intractable. While he is not the wise 

 animal the grizzly is, he is more cunning 

 and is certainly not a coward. 



There are times when he is not content 

 with being let alone, but will take the ag- 

 gressive. Greely writes: "Doctor Cope- 

 land was surprised only fifty yards from 

 the ship by a bear which broke from a bar- 

 rier of ice hummocks, galloped up to within 

 five paces, reared up and struck him down 

 with both forepaws. Copeland had no time 

 to load his gun, but as the animal caught 

 his clothes, he swung the butt across his 

 snout. This and the noise of approaching 

 comrades put the bear to flight, and he 

 started off with the swinging gallop pecul- 

 iar with him." 



The mother bear and cubs display a 

 great fondness for one another. Koldeway 

 says: "No sooner did the young ones per- 

 ceive the hunter than they galloped toward 

 their mother, who in two strides turned 

 and stood by them, with such rage ex- 

 pressed in all her actions that we knew we 



