MAMMALIA-~BEAR. 10% 
a good omen; if not, they consider that the spirit of the beast is nct appeas- 
ed, and that the chase of the next year will be unfortunate.” 
In the Tower Menagerie of London, there isa very tame and playful 
American bear, which was presented to it in 1824. He was originally in 
the same den with the hyena, and, except at feeding times, was on good 
terms with his companion. A piece of meat, however, would occasiunally 
produce a temporary dissension between them; in which the hyena, though 
the smallest of the two, had usually the upper hand. On such occasions, 
the defeated bear would moan most piteously, in a tone somewhat likea 
sheep bleating, while the hyena devoured the remainder of his dinner.* 
TEE) Wh BYTE py o@ BoP) OLA y VB AR 
Tue polar bear is distinguished by his tremendous ferocity. It some- 
tines reaches the length of twelve feet. Its head and neck are more 
* When our forefathers first settled in America, bears were common in all parts of the 
country along the Atlantic. Many adventures with them took place, some of which are 
recorded in the histories of the times. The following is said to have occurred at a later 
period : 
Some years since, when the western part of New-York was in a state of nature, and 
wolves and bears were not afraid of being seen, some enterprising pilgrim had erected 
and put in operation a saw-mill, on the banks of the Genesee. One day as he was sitting 
on the log, eating his bread and cheese, a large black bear came from the woods towards 
the mill. The man, leaving his luncheon on the log, made a spring, and seated himself 
una beam above; when the bear, mounting the log, sat down with his rump towards the 
saw, which was in operation, and commenced his appetite on the man’s dinner. After a 
little while, the saw approached near enough to interfere with the feathers on Bruin’s 
back, and he hitched along a little and kept on eating. Again the saw carne up, and 
scratched a little flesh. The bear then whirled about, and throwing his paws around the 
saw, held on till he was mangled through and through, when he roll d off, fell through 
into the flood, and bled to death. 
1 Ursus maritimus, Lin. 
