BEARS. 139 



underneath in tlie right direction, coming up occasionally to the 

 surface for air, ultimately lands close to the victim, which, unable 

 to escape, falls an easy prey to its powerful adversary. Should 

 it, however, elude the attack, the bear is said to become furious with 

 rage, roars hideously, and tossing the snow in the air, shambles 

 away to a more suitable locality for its purpose. 



The feet of the polar bear display a beautiful adaptation of nature 

 to the requirements of an animal living so much on ice, for they 

 differ from those of land bears in having their large soles covered 

 with thick, close-set hairs that prevent their sliding on the slippery 

 surface. This provision makes the brute sure-footed, and also 

 enables it to move over the ground much more rapidly than one 

 could imagine possible, for although the pace is a clumsy kind of 

 shuffle, yet it is very quick. 



In the periodical breaking up of the ice, polar bears are liable 

 to be carried on the floating blocks or icebergs away to more 

 southerly latitudes, and in this way they are frequently trans- 

 ported out to sea and must perish, although they are such powerful 

 swimmers that Captain Sabine relates having seen one swimming 

 vigorously forty miles from the nearest shore, and with no ice in 

 sight to afford it rest. 



They often reach Iceland in this manner ; it being reported that 

 in one winter alone some years ago twelve of them arrived on the 

 island, and that they committed such ravages on the flocks that 

 the inhabitants had to resort to vigorous measures for their 

 destruction. 



Only the female polar bears hibernate. They generally scrape 

 a hole into the snow, and burying themselves therein pass the 

 winter months. During this period the cubs are generally born. 

 They usually are two in number. Towards them the mother 

 evinces great affection ; if they are threatened with any danger 

 she will defend them to the last, and if they should be killed, 

 will exhibit her grief in a most affecting manner. 



In appearance the polar bear is a handsomer and better pro- 

 portioned animal than the other members of the family. Although 

 moving with a lumbering, flat-footed gait, it does not appear to 

 progress in the same shambling, awkward way peculiar to the land 



