PERFORMING BEARS. 139 



actions, such as walking erect, climbing, leaping, and the like. 

 These are arranged to form a variety of feats j that of a bear 

 riding around the ring, in a gig drawn by a pony, is very sim- 

 ple, the bear being only required to set erect, and hold the reins 

 in his paws. Carrying articles, as when acting waiter, is natural. 

 Standmg on their heads and turning somersaults are probably 

 feats not commonly indulged in in a state of freedom ; they are 

 taught by rapping the hind legs until the animals take the de- 

 sired position or make the desired turn-over. The most preten- 

 tious bear show within our knowledge was that of " Old Grizzly 

 Adams," a hunter who managed to collect quite a number and 

 variety of bears, which were exhibited some years ago. Laugh- 

 ing, crying, singing, and other bears were advertised as belong- 



DANCING IJEAKS IN COS-TUME. 



ing to this collection ; but the laughing, crying and singing were 

 the mere natural voices of the bears, and all so nearly alike that 

 only a vivid imagination enabled the hearer to distinguish 

 between the laughing, crying, and singing. Some gaudy cos- 

 tumes tickled with their ridiculousness the fancy of the audience, 

 and the exhibibition gave very fair satisfaction. 



Little bears are intensely amusing, and they display a great 

 fondness for romping and playing. We have known of hunters 

 bringing cubs home, and adopting them, as it were, into their 

 families, the bears becoming exceedingly familiar, sleeping with 

 the children, and eating from their bowls of bread and milk, 

 climbing into the hunter^s lap and lickmg his face, and, in fact, 

 making themselves perfectly at home. As they grow old, how- 

 ever, they are liable to become enraged at teasing or other pro- 

 vocation and to be dangerous. 



Bears somethnes acquire a fondness for liquor, and this article 



