2040 The Zoologist— Makch, 1870. 



houses in search of this hixury. One method of destroying bears, — 

 and one which I never remember to have seen recorded, — viz., by 

 " tailing " a gun, I saw successfully put in operation by the old bear- 

 slayer, James Dacre. Two days before I visited him, at his lonely 

 salmon " berth," in July, 18G8, he had shot a very large dog harbour 

 seal [Phoca vilulina), which had lived for some time previously on 

 spoils obtained from the old man's salmon-nets. The fat of this seal 

 had been cut in strips, as usual at that season of the year, and hung 

 up outside the cabin to melt and drop into an oil-cask below. Each 

 night a piece of fat mysteriously disappeared, and as the dog slept 

 inside the cabin it was coiijectuijcd tliat the robber must be a bear ; 

 however, on my arrival I found the old man busy, as he termed il, 

 " tailing" his gun. Being anxious to witness the modus operandi in 

 this bit of woodcraft, I seated myself on the bank and lighted my pipe 

 — ? to keep off' the mosquitoes. The first article selected was an 

 empty cask with one head out: this was laid on its bulge, on the 

 ground, in a fiivourable position, and firmly secured by pili'.ig large 

 rocks on either side. A hole was then cut in the remaining head 

 sufficiently large to admit the barrel of his gun, which was also firmly 

 secured in the required position by wedging. A gimlet hole was then 

 bored through the top of the cask, about midvvay between the ends, 

 so that a piece of cod-line, when lowered through (he hole, hung about 

 six inches in advance of the muzzle of tlie gun, and to this end was 

 lied a piece of the seal's fat, probably two pounds in weight, while the 

 other end of the line was securely fastened to the trigger of the gun, 

 and the trap was complete. As I had six miles further to walk that 

 night I was debarred the pleasure of remaining with Dacre and noting 

 the time of the bear's arrival, &c. : the old man slept so sound that he 

 even never heard the report of his gun, although not five yards from 

 his own head. The bear was frightfully shot about the head and 

 throat, but managed to drag itself more than ten yards, before it died. 

 It was skinned the same day, before my return along the shore, and 

 appeared to be a young bear, probably about four years of age. 

 The flesh of the black bear is by many j)ersons considered a delicacy, 

 but, for my own part, I do not care for fresh roast bear-meat ; the 

 pickled hams are, however, good eating, but require great care in 

 preserving, as the fatty portions are apt to turn rancid. 



Polar Bear, Ursus mariliinus, Linn. — At one time by no means 

 uncommon on the island, but since the extensive seal-fishery has 

 been carried on by schooners among the drift ice in the Straits of 



