82 MAMMALIA. 



smooth fur. It pursues seals and other marine animals. Exagger- 

 ated accounts of its ferocity have rendered it highly celebrated (a). 



g^ (a) In the Zoological Gardens, Regent's Park, may be seen the following 

 Bears: — 



Sloth Bears, Ursus lahiatus, Blain., male and female. They are the species usually 

 exhibited by the Indian jugglers, and have been found milder in their disjiositions 

 than most of the other Bears. They are from India. 



Malay Bear, or Malayan Sun Bear, Ursus Malaijanus, Horsfield. This bear was 

 brought from Sumatra, and is found only in places near the equator. It feeds chiefly 

 on vegetables, and is particularlj' fond of the young shoots of the cocoa nut tree. It 

 is likewise fond of honey, and the tongue, as may be seen, is elongated, so as to 

 adapt it admirably to the process of lapping. 



Spectacled Bear, Ursus ornatus of F. Cuvier. This Bear is a great curiosity; it is 

 a native of the mountains of South America, and has been but recently described; 

 this is tlie first of the species that has been seen in this country. 



American Black Bear, Ursus Americanus. This Bear is from North America, and 

 feeds on vegetable roots and fruits; and, in its native state, resorts to the sea coasts 

 for the purpose of consuming fish. It appears to be smaller in size than the Euro- 

 pean bear. 



Cinnamon Bears, called also Chocolate Bears, are considered only as varieties of 

 the Black Bears. The former, however, are distinguished from the latter by the 

 marked difference of their habitats ; for, whilst the Black Bears keep to close and woody 

 districts, the Cinnamon Bears live in the open and upland grounds ; the latter are 

 described also as more powerful and vicious than the others in the native state. 



The European Brown Bear, Ursus arctos, Linnaeus. This ^bear is from Siberia, 

 and its diet is altogether vegetable. The flesh of the young bears of this species is 

 eatable. 



Siberian Bear, Urstis collaris, F. Cuvier. This bear is particularly distinguished 

 by the white collar around his neck. But some naturalists doubt if the animal be 

 not a mere variety of the Brown Bear. 



Grisly Bear, Ursus ferox, Lewis and Clarke. This is an object of great curiosity, 

 inasmuch, as in all probability it is the largest and most powerful of the bear 

 tiibe; it is certainly the most ferocious, and is described as possessing extraordinary 

 tenacity of life. This specimen was brought from the rocky mountains in North 

 America, about the year 1813, to England, and was placed in the menagerie of the 

 Tower. It formed part of the munificent present, made by his present Majesty on 

 his accession, to the Zoological Society. 



White or Polar Bear, Ursus maritimus, Gmelin. This is a remarkable female spe- 

 cimen of the White Bear, which is found in no other part of the world except the 

 coldest of the northern regions. This Bear appeared formerly to be the largest; but 

 its size was greatly misrepresented by the older navigators. Captain Parry, in his 

 north-west expedition, has not met with one which exceeded seven or eight feet. 

 This bear preserves uniformly a white colour on every part of its external surface, 

 except on the naked end of the snout, the lips, and the margins of the eyelids and claws. 

 There is no doubt whatever, that the female Polar Bears, when pregnant, are subject to 

 undergo hybernation ; and, it is probable, that the males merely suffer from the effects 

 oi torpidity, the nature of which will be found explained in a previousnote to the Hedge- 

 hog. The distinction pointed out in that note betiveen hybernation and torpidity affords 

 a medium, whereby the conti-ary opinions of naturalists on this point may be recon- 

 ciled. This Bear is chiefly hunted for its hide and fur. The accounts which we pos- 

 sess of the Brown Bear, so common in the Scandinavian forests, are the result 

 of a persevering scientific study of the habits of these animals. They consist, 

 according to some, of two varieties of the Ursus arctos, the large Bear, or Bear of 

 prey, in Swedish, Slag-Bjorn, which lives indiscriminately on animal and vegetable 

 substances, is one ; and a smaller species, in Swedish, Myr Bjorn, which subsists en- 

 tirely on ants or vegetable substances, forms the second. Other naturalists, however, 

 are of opinion that there is only one real species in Scandinavia, and that it is omni- 

 vorous, feeding on cattle indiscriminately, and on roots, leaves, small branches and 

 berries of all sorts. One remarkable habit of this beast is, that about October every 

 Year he cea?es to feed for the winter season; his stomach and intestines then become 



