378 LEAVES FROM THE 



winter farewell. A smaller one rested its head upon the 

 sand, but had not buried itself at all. 



I suspect that we do not know how to manage these 

 creatures, which perish in consequence of the artificial 

 life they lead. The hybernation is incomplete, — and this 

 intermediate state, this life in death, neither one thing 

 nor the other. The animal consequently loses its balance 

 and dies. 



So! the Polar Bear has escaped a vinculo inatri- 

 monii, and remains in his bachelor's den on a separate 

 maintenance. I thought how it would be. They led a 

 regular cat and dog life; she, growhng and snapping 

 whenever he came near her, and he looking and acting 

 like a thorough Jerry Sneak, and giving unmistakeable 

 evidence of his anxiety to get out of such company, by 

 rearing himself up against the walls of his prison, and 

 examining every part of it — not without effect. For, 

 some days since, he scaled the smooth wall of the yard, 

 and notwithstanding the inverted cheval-de-frise with 

 which it was fortified, got clear of his prison and his ter- 

 magant wife at once. He was discovered, early one 

 morning, near the dromedary-house, by a blacksmith 

 who had come to his work. 



The blacksmith looked at the white bear, and the white 

 bear looked at the blacksmith, who, like a valiant and 

 wise smith, did not run, but stood his gTound and shouted ; 

 whereupon the bear retreated into a bush of laurel. 

 Presently the bear put forth his nose as if meditating an 

 advance, when the smith shouted again, and the bear 

 again drew back. This amoebaean scene continued till the 

 shouts of the man collected some of the keepers, who in- 

 stantly took measures for his recapture. Bruin walked 

 off, got upon the shed at the end of the new aviary, and 

 descended thence into the paddock. Hereabouts, Cock- 

 sedge, — who some years back boldly marched up to a 

 crouching lion, of which he had the care, but which had 





