ii2 CURIOUS CREATURES. 



Horns, or running swiftly. The strong Horses keep off 

 the Bears with their biting and kicking, from the Mares 

 that are great with Foals. Young Colts save themselves 

 by running, but they will always hold this fear, and so 

 become unprofitable for the Wars. Wherefore they use 

 this stratagem : some Souldier puts on a Bear's skin, 

 and meets them, by reason that they are horses that the 

 Bears have hunted." 



The Northern Bears seem to have been wonderful 

 creatures, for they used to go mad after eating Man- 

 dragora, and then they were in the habit of making a 

 meal off ants, by way of recovering their sanity. They 

 were then, as now, noted for their love of honey, and this 



illustration depicts them as coming out of, and going into 

 the ground after bees and honey ; nay, it would seem as 

 if they even invaded the barrels put up in the trees to 

 serve as hives. But man was more cunning than they, 

 and a good bear-skin in those cold regions, had a value 

 far exceeding honey. 



" Since that in the Northern Countries, especially 

 Podolia, Russia, and places adjacent, because of the great 



