THE POLAR BEAR. 409 



When it walks, its fore-feet cross over each other, like those of an accomplished skater 

 when accomplishing the " cross-roll," but when it remains in a standing attitude its 

 feet are planted at some distance from each other. 



These Bears seem to be very liable to the loss of their incisor teeth, and even in the 

 skulls of very young animals the teeth have been so long missing that their sockets 

 have been filled up by nature as if no teeth had ever grown there. On account of this 

 curious deficiency, the first specimen which was brought to England was thought to be a 

 gigantic sloth, and was classed among those animals under the name of Bradypus Ursinus 

 or Ursine Sloth. In one work it was candidly described as the Anonymous Animal. 

 Other names by which it is known are the Jungle Bear, and the Labiatedor Lipped Bear. 



This last mentioned title has been given to the animal in consequence of the ex- 

 treme mobility of its long and flexible lips, which it can protrude or retract in a very 

 singular manner, and with which it contorts its countenance into the strangest imagina- 

 ble grimaces ; especially when excited by the exhibition of a piece of bun, an apple, 

 or other similar dainty. It is fond of sitting in a semi-erect position, and of twisting 

 its nose and lips about in a peculiarly rapid manner in order to attract the attention of 

 the bystanders, and ever and anon, when it fails to attract the eyes of its visitors, it 

 slaps the lips smartly together, in hopes to strike their sense of hearing. 



When captured young, it is easily tamed, and can be taught to perform many curious 

 antics at the bid of its master. For.this purpose it is often caught by the native mounte- 

 banks, who earn an easy subsistence by leading their shaggy pupil through the country, 

 and demanding small sums of money for the exhibition of its qualities. On account of 

 its association with these wandering exhibitors, it has been called by the French 

 naturalist " Ours Jongleur." Whether owing to the natural docility of the animal, or 

 to the superior powers of its instructor, it performs feats which are more curious and 

 remarkable than the ordinary run of performances that are achieved by the Learned 

 Bears of our streets. 



In either case it is always a saddening sight, for, however ingenious may be the 

 instructor, or however docile the pupil, the unnatural performances of the poor animal 

 always seem to be out of place. We have no right to attempt to humanize a Bear or 

 any other animal ; for in so doing we are preventing it from working the task which it 

 was placed in the world to fulfil. The Bear as may be said of every animal is the 

 result of a divine idea in the mind of the Creator, and it ought to be our business to 

 aid the creature in developing that idea as far as possible, and not to check its de- 

 velopment by substituting some other idea of our own, which, with all we can do, must 

 necessarily be a false one. Even the imprisoned Bears which mount a tall pole for 

 the purpose of obtaining cakes and fruit from their visitors, are performing their mis- 

 sion much more truly than the most accomplished Bear that ever traversed the country, 

 and are, in consequence, much more agreeable to the eye of any one who values the 

 animal creation on account of the moral qualities which are implanted in them from 

 their birth, for us to develop to their highest extent, and in which we may read an ever 

 living word proceeding from the ever-creating hand of God. 



Moreover, all those who in studying natural history desire to look deeper than the 

 surface, and to direct their attention rather to the inward being of the various ani- 

 mals than to their outward forms, will find that every creature in which is the breath 

 of life has a physical, a moral, and sometimes a spiritual analogy with the more ex- 

 panded organisms of humanity, and owes its position among created beings to that 

 very analogy. In every human being are comprised all the mental characteristics that 

 are outwardly embodied in the various members of the animal kingdom, and it is im- 

 possible to mark any attribute of the lower animals which does not find a further and 

 a higher development in the human existence in one or other of its manifestations. 



This subject is too wide to receive even a cursory notice in the present article, but 

 will be again taken up on a future page. 



There is generally an aquatic member of each group of animals throughout the 

 vertebrato kingdom, and among the Bears this part is filled by the NENNOOK, or POLAR 

 BEAR, sometimes called, on account of its beautifully silvery fur, the WHITE BEAR. As 



