OEDEE OF CAENIVOEA. 427 



speaking, climbs trees witli facility. Bears can stand upright on 

 their hind legs ; and this is the attitude which they usually 

 assume in charging an enemy ; but in this position they advance 

 but slowly. 



Their strength is enormous ; with little difficulty they can crush 

 a man to death in their arms. Tschudi, in his work on the 

 Alpine world, records that the Alpine Bear is able to carry oif a 

 cow through the roof of a stable, and to convey a horse across a 

 deep torrent. 



In eating, Bears sit down like Dogs, and taking the food up 

 in their paws raise it to their mouths, at the same time lowering 

 their muzzles so as to meet the food half-way. 



The female Bear brings forth every year two or three young 

 ones, of which she takes tender care, and protects them against 

 every danger, even at the peril of her own life. During the first 

 few months of their existence she prevents the male from coming 

 near them, for he would devour them without fail. Nor does 

 she abandon her progeny until a fresh litter claims her attention. 

 Like the Cat, she is in the habit of licking the cubs with her 

 tongue to clean them. 



When it has plenty of food, the body of the Bear, under the 

 skin, is enveloped with a thick layer of fat. In the olden time, 

 certain marvellous curative qualities were attributed to this grease. 

 At the present day these ideas are generally discarded ; but it is 

 a well-known iact that Bears' fat may be used instead of butter, 

 without any injury to culinary preparations, provided that an 

 odour which is peculiar to it is previously destroyed. This is 

 efiected by melting, at the same time throwing among it salt, 

 afterwards sprinkling the whole with cold water. In many 

 coimtries the flesh of the Bear is deemed a delicacy ; the taste of 

 it resembles pork of a superior flavour. Lastly, its fur is utilised ; 

 true enough, it is rough, but it is warm, and is well adapted for 

 making travelling cloaks and carriage rugs. 



When caught young, the Bear may be easily tamed, and its 

 docility of nature enables it to learn numerous amusing tricks, 

 among others, dancing, performing somersaults, &c. It will not, 

 however, always voluntarily exhibit its acquirements without 

 expressing its unwillingness by deep growling ; and, as it is 

 capricious, it sometimes gets angry when it is coerced. It is. 



