HISTORY OF QUADRUPEDS. 29 1 



shocking to every feeling mind to reflect, that such 

 cruelties should be exercised upon any part of the 

 brute creation by our fellow men. That they 

 should be rewarded by numbers of unthinking 

 people, who crowd around them to see the animal's 

 rude attempts to imitate human actions, is not to 

 be wondered at : but it is much to be wished, that 

 the timely interference of the magistrate would 

 prevent every exhibition of this kind, that, in 

 Britain, at least, we might not be reproached with 

 tolerating practices so disgraceful to humanity. 



One of these animals presented to the Prince of 

 Wales, a few years ago, was kept in the Tow T er. 

 By the carelessness of the servant, the door of his 

 den was left open; and the keeper's wife happening 

 to go across the court at the same time, the animal 

 flew out, seized the woman, threw her down, and 

 fastened upon her neck, which he bit, and without 

 offering any further violence, lay upon her, sucking 

 the blood out of the xvound. Resistance was in 

 vain, as it only served to irritate the brute ; and she 

 must inevitably have perished, had not her husband 

 luckily discovered her situation. By a sudden 

 blow, he obliged the Bear to quit his hold, and 

 retire to his den, which he did with great reluctance, 

 and not without making a second attempt to come 

 at the woman, \vho was almost dead through fear 

 and loss of blood. It is somewhat remarkable, that 

 whenever it happened to see her afterwards, it 

 growled, and made most violent struggles to get 

 out to her. The Prince, upon hearing of the cir- 

 cumstance, ordered the Bear to be killed. 



The flesh of the young Bear is reckoned a great 

 delicacy; and the paws of an old one are esteemed 

 a most exquisite morsel. The fat is white, and 



