THE BF.AK. 205 



forests w.ith which the northern regions of Europe 

 and America abound. 



The bear is a solitary, savage, and ferocious ani- 

 mal ; he chases his residence in the most unfrequent- 

 ed deserts, and makes his den in the most dangerous 

 and inaccessible precipices of mountains, where si- 

 lence and solitude reign. For this purpose, he com- 

 monly searches out some natural cavern, or some 

 hollow tree of an enormous size, which it is not very 

 difficult to find in the immense forests of the hyper- 

 borean regions. About the end of autumn, at which* 

 time the bear is exceedingly tat, he retires to this as- 

 sylum, and remains during some weoks in a state of 

 total inactivity and abstinence from food. This ani 

 mul is not, however, like some others, totally depriv- 

 ed of sensation during that interval, but seems to sub- 

 sist on the former exuberance of his flesh, without 

 feeling the calls of hunger until the superabundant 

 fat which he had acquired in the summer season be- 

 gin to Ixaconsiderably wasted. 



In the spring the old bears come out from their re- 

 treats, lean, and almost famished with confinement 

 and abstinence. They then ransack every place for 

 food, climb trees, and devour the fruit. They de- 

 scend the highest, trees with surprising agility: with 

 one paw they hold themselves fast to the branches^ 

 and with the other they gather the fruit. They are 

 remarkably fond of honey,- for w r hich they seek with 

 gs'eat avidity and cunning, and will encounter any 

 difficulties to obtain it* 



The bear is easily irritated, and his resentment is 

 always furious, and often capricious. When tame, 

 he appears mild and obedient, but never ought to be 

 too far trusted. He may be taught to walk upright, 

 to dance and play many curious pranks j and the 

 multitude are highly entertained with the clumsy 

 motions of this rugged and unwieldy creature. The 

 young bears shew a considerable degree of docility 

 in acquiring these accomplishments ; the old ones, 

 however, will' not submit to this kind of education, but- 

 jjiamfest the most ferocious resentment against any: 

 attempt to subject them to cfiscipline. 



