6914 ' Quadrupeds, 



\iz., two females, one a brown European, the other a black American specimen, the 

 male being also American. The mother of the cubs is the European bear, and they 

 were born at the end of December last. At the time of birth, and for some days after, 

 these curious little wretches were not larger than common rats, and their growth 

 advanced very slowly ; at their death, a few days ago, they were not much larger than 

 a good-sized rabbit, but yet exceedingly vigorous, strong little rascals. The bear 

 who had not young ones assisted for some time the mother in the care of her little 

 family; but, thinking she might maltreat and injure them, the keeper shut her out of 

 the den where the nest was made. She managed, however, to scratch under and push 

 up the heavy iron grating, and, getting in to the cubs, killed both and partially 

 devoured one, to the great grief of their mother and of all those who had seen them 

 alive and well. Mr. Bartlett, the intelligent and obliging Resident Superintendent 

 at the Gardens, has made close observations on these young bears, and read a paper 

 upon them at the Zoological Society, Hanover Square. He stated that he has ascer- 

 tained that the period of gestation is seven months, and that the animals are born 

 towards the end of December. Now, in a natural state the mother-bear would at that 

 time of year be in a state of hybernation, shut up snug and warm in some snow-covered 

 cave, with very little food or nourishment, if indeed any at all. In captivity the 

 nature of the animal is not changed, for Mr. Bartlett has observed that even before 

 the birth of the cubs, and during the period the mother was suckling them, she took 

 very little nourishment at any time. Coupling this fact with the remarkably small 

 size of the animals when born, he imagines that bears naturally bring forth their 

 young during the period of their hybernation, — a period when the mother is 

 exceedingly fat, the milk being derived from the accumulation of fat which the bear 

 always manages to pile up under her fur-clad skin before she goes into winter 

 quarters. As regards this subject, theRev. J. Wood, in that most interesting and care- 

 fully-written work, ' Routledge's Natural History,' when speaking of bears, writes as 

 follows : — " The bear-cubs make their appearance at the end of January or the begin- 

 ning of February ; and it is a curious fact that though the mother has been deprived 

 of food for nearly three months, and does not take any more food until the spring, she 

 is able to afford ample nourishment to her young without suffering any apparent 

 diminution in her condition." Mr. Bartlett has also ascertained a curious fact 

 relative to the position of the teats in the mother-bear. There are six of these teats 

 altogether ; they are not placed upon the abdomen, but four upon the breast (upon 

 the pectoral muscles between the fore legs or arms) and two on the lower part of the 

 body (between the hind legs, in the same place as the udder of a cow is found). 

 There is doubtless some good reason for this curious disposiiiou of the teats, and it 

 must have some relation to the habits of the animal in its wild state. It is just 

 possible that this may be read by some gentleman who has hunted or observed bears 

 in their natural wilds, and if he could kindly communicate his observations he would 

 greatly oblige many persons who are interested in the matter. — F. T. Buckland, 

 in the ' Field.' 



