io8 CURIOUS CREATURES. 



other animal is stupidity found more adroit in devising 

 mischief." 



Olaus Magnus, in writing about bears, gives pre- 

 cedence to the white, or Arctic bear, and gives an 

 insight into the religious life of the old Norsemen, who, 

 when converted, thought their most precious things 

 none too good for the " Church." If we consider the 

 risk run in obtaining a white bear's skin, and the 

 privations and cold endured in getting it, we may look 

 upon it as a Norse treasure. "Silver and Gold have 

 I none; but such as I have, give I unto thee." He 

 gives a short, but truthful account of their habits, and 

 winds up his all too brief narration thus : " These 

 white Bear Skins are wont to be offered by the Hunters, 

 for the high Altars of Cathedrals, or Parochial Churches, 

 that the Priest celebrating Mass standing, may not take 

 cold of his feet, when the Weather is extream cold. In 

 the Church at Ntdrosum, which is the Metropolis of the 

 Kingdom of Norway, every year such white Skins are 

 found, that are faithfully offered by the Hunters Devotion, 

 whensoever they take them, and Wolves-Skins to buy 

 Wax-Lights, and to burn them in honour of the Saints." 



Olaus Magnus is very veracious in his dealings with 

 White Bears, but he morally retrogrades when he touches 

 upon the Black and Brown Bears. The illustrations of 

 this portion of Olaus Magnus are exceedingly graphic. 

 In treating of the cunning used in killing bears, he 

 says : " In killing black and cruel Bears in the Northern 

 Kingdoms, they use this way, namely, that when, in 

 Autumn the Bear feeds on certain red ripe Fruit {Query 

 Cranberries) on trees that grow in Clusters like Grapes, 

 either going up into the Trees, or standing on the 

 ground, and pulling down the Trees, the cunning Hunter, 



