POLAR BEAES. 129 



bears have lived for years in the Zoological Gardens, 

 and in spite of the many hot summers which they have 

 painfully endured, the fur has never darkened. 



Various reasons have been adduced for this reten- 

 tion of the white hue. I think, however, that its con- 

 dition as a water trespasser may afford a very sufficient 

 reason. The animal feeds partly on fishes, but its 

 chief food consists of seals. In fair chase, the bear 

 would have but little chance of catching so speedy and 

 active an animal as the seal, and it therefore employs 

 stratagem to attain its object. 



Seals always resort to the shore for repose, and 

 have a very curious fashion of sleeping. They take 

 short naps of barely ten seconds each, raising their 

 heads and looking about them between each nap. The 

 Polar Bear takes advantage of this peculiarity, and 

 when he sees a seal asleep on the land or an ice-floe, 

 he makes his approach with the greatest caution. 



He first dives and swims under water in the direc- 

 tion of his intended prey, only just putting his nose 

 above the surface for the purpose of breathing. When 

 he has thus reached the shore, he scrambles upon it 

 during one of the seal's naps, and lies motionless while 

 it takes its customary survey. As soon as the seal lays 

 down its head, the bear hitches himself towards it by 

 means of his claws, and again becomes quiet as soon 

 as it awakes. He then contrives to come near enough 

 to cut off its retreat to the water, and is perfectly sure 

 of his prey, the seal having no more chance against 

 the bear ashore, than has the bear against the seal in 

 the water. The seal can scuttle along at a tolerable 

 rate, but the fur-soled feet of the bear gives the animal 



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