1FO NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



Instance of affection between a dam and her cubs. 



killed a few days before; which had been set on 

 fire, and was burning on the ice at the time of 

 their approach. They proved to be a she bear 

 and two cubs, nearly as large as the dam. They 

 ran eagerly to the fire; and drew out of the 

 flames part of the flesh of the sea-horse, that re- 

 mained unconsumed, and ate it voraciously. The 

 crew from the ships threw great lumps of the 

 flesh of the sea-horse, which they had still re- 

 maining, upon the ice. These the old bear 

 fetched away singly, laid every lump before her 

 cubs as she brought it, and, dividing it, gave to 

 each a share, reserving but a small portion for 

 herself. As she was fetching away the last piece, 

 the sailors levelled their muskets at the cubs, and 

 shot them both dead ; and in her retreat, they 

 wounded the dam, but not mortally. It would 

 have drawn tears of pity from any but unfeeling 

 minds, to have witnessed the affectionate con- 

 cern expressed by this poor animal in the last 

 moments of her expiring young. Though she 

 was herself so dreadfully wounded, that she 

 could scarcely crawl to the place where they lay, 

 she carried the lump of flesh she had fetched 

 away, as she had done others before ; tore it in 

 pieces, and laid it before them; and when they 

 did not eat, she laid her paws first upon one, and 

 then upon the other, endeavouring to raise them 

 up; uttering the most piteous moans. When 

 she found she could ngt stir them, she went off, 

 and when she had got to gome distance, looked 



