THE POLAR BEAR. 



55 



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The Polar Bear. 



finds himself in such a position, and knows how to avail him- 

 self of the means around him, will welcome every flake that falls, 

 and instead of looking upon the snow as an enemy whose white 

 arms are ready to inclose him in a fatal embrace, he hails the 

 soft masses as a means of affording him warmth and safety. 



Choosing some spot where the snow lies deepest, such as the 

 side of a bank or a tree, or a large stone, he scoops out with his 

 hands a hollow in which he can lie, and wherein he is sheltered 

 from the freezing blasts that scud over the land. Wrapping 

 himself in his garments, he burrows his way as deeply as he 

 can, and then lies quietly, allowing the snow to fall upon him 

 unheeded. The extemporized cell in which he reclines soon 

 begins to show its virtues. The substance in which it is hol- 

 lowed is a very imperfect conductor of heat, so that the traveler 



