THE POLAR BEAR 187 



seven feet eight inches in length, weighed over eleven 

 hundred pounds. The skin of this animal was placed in 

 the national collection. Another, which measured nearly 

 a foot longer, weighed sixteen hundred pounds. And the 

 Bear's strength is in proportion to its size, or it could not, 

 for example, hoist a dead walrus out of the water on to the 

 ice, there to enjoy a leisured repast. 



A White Bear at bay is an exceedingly dangerous animal, 

 for, unlike its more sombre-clothed cousins, it does not 

 attempt to hug the foe, but furiously bites and claws at 

 every opportunity. If there are two hunters opposed to 

 the animal, it is comparatively easy to overcome it, since 

 when it turns with its upraised arms to counter the assault 

 of one, it exposes its other side to the second hunter, who 

 is able to inflict a death-wound. 



If the hunter be alone, he recognises the harder task, but 

 does not hesitate. He first provokes the animal, and then 

 runs as if to escape, knowing that the Bear will pursue him. 

 With a rapid jump the hunter suddenly doubles on his 

 track, and the exasperated beast in the act of turning is 

 pierced with a lance below the shoulder. Unless the 

 thrust is a dexterous one, inflicting vital injury, the hunter 

 has to leave his spear in the side of his prey and seek his 

 own safety in flight, about which there is then no pretence. 

 But, aided by his dogs, the hunter seldom fails to overcome 

 his huge adversary. 



The flesh of the Polar Bear is not in such good repute as 

 that of the brown species. Arctic explorers assert that some 

 portions of the body are poisonous, and sailors have certainly 

 fallen ill after partaking of it. The Bear is a notoriously foul 

 feeder fish, flesh, or fowl, living or dead, fresh or putrid, 

 nothing is rejected. When whaling was more followed 

 than it is nowadays, the Bear had greater opportunities 

 of gorging on decaying offal which the whalers left in 

 their track, and in all probability a prolonged diet of putrid 

 food had more than a little to do with the unwholesome- 

 ness of the Bear's own flesh. 



The Polar Bear is by no means hard to keep in captivity 

 in England, notwithstanding the inability to provide it with 

 anything like its accustomed environment. One animal 



