244 



777.5 BEASTS OF PREY. 



for a long time without impairing their health. In 

 youth they are probably vegetable feeders exclu- 

 sively, and later in life most species continue to 

 prefer vegetable food. They are not fastidious feed- 

 ers, and also eat animals, namely, Crabs, shell fish, 

 worms, insects and their grubs, fish, birds and eggs, 

 mammals and carcasses of animals, but they eat 

 the latter, probably, only while they are still fresh 

 and give forth no odor. When in the neighborhood 

 of human habitations they do some damage; and 

 the stronger species temporarily become great rob- 

 bers and, when driven by hunger, attack even larger 

 animals and work destruction among Cattle. Some 

 are so bold that they penetrate into the very villages. 

 Yet even the strongest are, as a rule, dangerous to 

 Man only when they are disturbed, frightened or 

 wounded; in short, provoked to do so. 

 Movements and People who think the movements of 



Capabilities a Bear clumsy and slow, are mis- 

 of Bears. taken. The large species are not, 

 as a general thing, particularly fleet or active, but 

 they are possessed, to an exceptional degree, of 

 endurance ; while the smaller species are remark- 

 ably swift and agile. The Bears are plantigrade in 

 their walk and deliberately put one foot in front of 

 the other ; but when they are excited, they can pro- 

 ceed at a great pace, running in a peculiar but rapid 

 gallop ; and even the largest species, under such 

 circumstances, display an astonishing speed and 

 agility. Those which are clumsiest know how to 

 stand erect, and can walk a short distance tolerably 

 well, though with a somewhat staggering gait. They 

 all know how to climb fairly well, though they do 

 not often exercise this ability on account of their 

 heaviness, and totally give it up in old age ; at least 

 the large species do. Some avoid the water, while 

 others are excellent swimmers; some can dive deep 

 and long. The Polar Bear is often found miles from 

 shore, swimming in the ocean, and then presents an 

 opportunity for observing his quickness and endur- 

 ance. Their great strength facilitates the move- 

 ments of the Bears, enables them to surmount diffi- 

 culties which would put serious obstacles in the way 

 of other animals, and stands them in good stead in 

 their depredations, for they can drag an Ox away. 



Senses of The smell is the most efficient among 

 the Bears in their senses. The sense of hearing is 

 General. good and in some species excellent, 

 sight is fairly keen, the sense of taste deficient and 

 the sense of touch rather undeveloped, though some 

 possess a genuine organ of touch in their elongated 

 muzzles. Some species are sensible and sagacious, 

 and may be trained to a certain extent ; but they 

 exhibit no high mental development. Some indi- 

 viduals become very tame, though they display no 

 particular affection for their master and keeper. 

 They always revert to their grosser animal instincts 

 in old age, for then they become wicked, intractable 

 and violent, and the strong species may be dan- 

 gerous. The Bears signify their various moods by 

 modulations of their remarkable voice, finding utter- 

 ance in dull growling, snorting and murmuring, or 

 grunting, whistling and sometimes barking sounds. 



Hibernation All the larger Bears inhabiting the 

 of the north roam around only in summer 



Bear Family, and retire into a lair or hiding-place 

 ,at the beginning of winter. But they do not fall 

 into an uninterrupted hibernation, but sleep, or 

 rather slumber in a half-waking condition, and they 

 are awake as soon as anything suspicious occurs 

 near them. They very seldom go forth during this 



period, however, and still more rarely do they par- 

 take of food. It is surprising that only the Bears 

 of the continent proper hibernate, while the Polar 

 Bears and sea Bears roam around during the sever- 

 est cold, or, at most, calmly lie down in the worst 

 snow-storm and seek shelter in the snow itself as it 

 falls; that is, they allow it to completely cover them. 



The female gives birth to from one to six young 

 ones in a nest-like lair, and feeds, tends and protects 

 them with careful tenderness. The Cubs are born 

 blind, but after they gain their sight and activity 

 they are exceedingly jolly, playful little animals. 



The destruction wrought by the Bears is just about 

 compensated for by their usefulness, especially as 

 they, for the greater part, inhabit thinly populated 

 districts where they can hardly do much damage to 

 Man. The fur of nearly every species is used and 

 highly valued. The flesh is also eaten and even the 

 bones, tendons and intestines are put to some use. 



THE LARGE BEARS. 



The Bear family is divided into three sub-orders, 

 of which the first comprises the Large Bears {Ursina) 

 which have the bulkiest forms of the whole family. 

 They are endowed with a long snout, small eyes 

 and ears, moderately long limbs, five-toed feet with 

 naked soles, blunt, non-retractile claws, a stub-like 

 tail and thick, shaggy fur. This sub-order numbers 

 two groups; the Bears proper and the Sloth Bear. 



THE BEARS PROPER. 



While every person believes" he knows the Com- 

 mon Bear fairly well, zoologists have not yet come 

 to a conclusion whether they are to count his varie- 

 ties as one species or divide them into several dis- 

 tinct ones. 



The Common or If we accept but one species, the 

 Brown Bear Common or Brown Bear ( Ursus arc- 

 Described, ios), we have to admit that there are 

 a great many varieties in it, differing not only in 

 fur and color, but also in shape and form of skull. 

 The fur may be called thick and is longest around 

 the face, on the under portion and behind, the legs; 

 it may consist of longer or shorter hairs, which may 

 be straight or slightly curly; the color may be any 

 shade between brownish black, dark red and yel- 

 lowish brown, or between blackish gray, silver gray 

 and Isabel color. The white collar often found in 

 young animals sometimes remains to old age, or 

 else reappears in the aged animal as distinct as it 

 was in youth. The snout is elongated (in some 

 species very much), the forehead is more or less 

 flattened, the body is either very thick set or some- 

 what slender, the limbs may be long or short. 

 There are two species living in Europe : the Ursus 

 arctos, which has several varieties and is distin- 

 guished by long legs, a long body, a high forehead, 

 a long head and muzzle, and a plain fur of a faded, 

 grayish hue. Secondly, the Ursus formicarius, en- 

 dowed with shorter, thick legs, a stout body, a wide 

 head, a flat forehead and a short muzzle. 



This Bear may attain ^ length of from eighty to 

 eighty-eight inches, and a shoulder-height of from 

 forty to forty-six inches. His weight varies between 

 three hundred and five hundred pounds, but in very 

 large, fat specimens may be as great as seven hun- 

 dred pounds. 



Range and If all the species be regarded as one, 



Haunts of the he may be described as being spread 



Brown Bear, from Spain to Kamchatka, and from 



Lapland and Siberia to the Atlas, the Lebanon and 



