478 Bibliographical Notices. 



one bear at a distance of about twenty-five miles from shore ; some 

 have been floated across to Iceland ; others to within swimming- 

 distance of northern Norway. Mr. Lamont believes the Polar Bear 

 " to be the largest and strongest carnivorous animal in the world," 

 but a great coward in general ; and, in his opinion, "affords less sport 

 and may be killed with less danger than almost any large wild animal 

 with which I am acquainted " — and he seems to have made a shoot- 

 ing-acquaintance with every beast of sport in Europe, Asia, Africa, 

 and America. 



The capture of two young bears, their dam being slain, was effected 

 on the 13th of July. " They were about the size of colley-dogs, and 

 no sooner did they feel themselves fast, than, quite regardless of our 

 presence," says the author, "they began a furious combat with one 

 another, and rolled about amongst the mud, biting, struggling, and 

 roaring, until they were quite exhausted." After making a hearty 

 meal off their poor mother's carcase, these ungracious cubs were 

 taken on board and cribbed on deck. The male cub proved " savage 

 and tyrannical towards his sister," and indeed a " ferocious and irre- 

 claimable young demon." We ourselves lately saw these interesting 

 children of the North in the Jardin des Plantes, at Paris ; and cer- 

 tainly sulkiness and spite seemed to cling to the one, whilst the other 

 was meeker, and certainly sleeker. 



Only one school of White Whales came across our hunters, and 

 one individual was captured (p. 213). It was not full-grown, mea- 

 sured 14 feet long, and 10 feet in circumference ; the skin was half 

 an inch thick ; the blubber was 2^ inches thick, and weighed 500 lbs. 

 This produces a far finer oil than that of seal, bear, or walrus. 



Of Reindeers, their habits, abundance, tameness, and fatness, we 

 have an account at pp. 242 et seq. The best stags weighed about 

 300 lbs. Venison was plenty ; and the author grows rapturous about 

 haunches, kabobs, and marrow-bones. "1 think the flesh of the 

 reindeer," says he, " is the richest and most delicious meat, wild or 

 tame, which I ever tasted, with the exception of a fat Eland and a 

 diminutive West-Indian animal called by the negroes the * Lapp ' 

 {Ccelogenys ov Cavia paca). After a somewhat extensive experience 

 in that line, I am inclined to award to the Lapp the palm of being 

 the best culinary animal in the world. Unlike the flesh of most 

 wild animals, the venison of the reindeer is not improved by keep- 

 ing ; and I think it is never better than the same day, or even the 

 same hour, that the animal is killed. When it is kept long, the fat 

 gets dark-coloured, and acquires a rank and unpleasant taste and 

 odour." 



The scheme for reaching the Pole, treated of at p. 193, &c., is 

 well worthy of consideration ; the reindeers, however, on whom would 

 rest the burden of supporting the vitality of the suggested expedi- 

 tions, might have a different opinion, if the subject were made com- 

 prehensible to their rather obtuse intellects. 



Mr. Lamont does not finish his book without a bold plunge into 

 the progressive-development-hypothesis. Striking well out as a sil- 

 very-grey-brown Bear of Norway, he tries his hand at fish- and seal- 



