CURIOUS CREATURES. 121 



with a long beame laded with heavy weightes, unto the 

 which beame they fasten a corde with meat therein, where- 

 unto the beast comming, and biting at the meat, pulleth 

 downe the beame upon her owne pate. 



" The inhabitants of Helvetia hunt them with mastiffe 

 Dogges, because they should not kill their cattell left at 

 large in the fielde in the day time ; They likewise shoote 

 them with gunnes, giving a good summe of money to 

 them that can bring them a slaine beare. The Sarma- 

 tians use to take Beares by this sleight ; under those 

 trees wherein bees breed, they plant a great many of 

 sharpe pointed stakes, putting one hard into the hole 

 wherein the bees go in and out, whereunto the Beare 

 climbing, and comming to pull it forth, to the end that 

 she may come to the hony, and being angry that the 

 stake sticketh so fast in the hole, with violence plucketh 

 it foorth with both her fore feet, whereby she looseth her 

 holde, and falleth downe upon the picked stakes, where- 

 upon she dieth, if they that watch for her come not to 

 take her off. There was reported by Demetrius, Ambas- 

 sador at Rome, from the King of Musco, that a neighbor 

 of his, going to seek hony, fell into a hollow tree, up to 

 the brest in hony, where he lay two days, being not 

 heard by any man to complain ; at length came a great 

 Beare to this hony, and, putting his head into the tree, 

 the poore man tooke hold thereof, whereat, the Beare, 

 suddenly affrighted, drew the man out of that deadly 

 danger, and so ranne away for feare of a worse creature. 



" But, if there be no tree wherein Bees doe breed neere 

 to the place where the Beare abideth, then they use to 

 annoint some hollow place of a tree with hony, where- 

 into Bees will enter and make hony combes, and when 

 the Beare findeth them, she is killed as aforesaide. In 



Q 



