BEARS. 145 



large bear was railed ofE to a compartment in tlie end of a van, -which, 

 was so small that the wonder was how the animal could ever turn in 

 itjif he ever did. The only way he could get any exercise was by keep- 

 ing up an incessant, painfully monotonous movement of the head, 

 which he swung backwards and forwards from one side to the other. 

 To watch the creature at this performance for any length of time 

 was maddening, and was terribly suggestive that the poor brute 

 was already suflFering from brain disease himself. His coat was so 

 dark, or dirty, that few people recognized the animal as a polar 

 bear. The keeper said he was daily drenched with buckets of 

 water, but for all that he bore a very unhappy appearance, and 

 was, without doubt, the most dejected, spiritless quadruped in the 

 collection ; and the conditions under which he is kept might surely 

 come within the province of the officers of the Society for the Pre- 

 vention of Cruelty to Animals to investigate. All caged animals 

 must unavoidably suffer a little from the nature of their confine- 

 ment ; but to imprison in such close quarters so large a beast as a 

 polar bear, whose nature requires such very different conditions 

 for his well-being, is inexcusable. He might be given a van to 

 himself for exercise, which might also be provided with a movable 

 bottom, that would allow him occasionally to roll about in a tank 

 of water that should accompany it. He would then become an 

 attractive addition to any menagerie, as at present he is the reverse, 

 and a badly-stuffed skin would be a pleasanter sight. 



The GEizzLT BEAR {Ursus ferox) comes next in size to the polar 

 bear, but in ferocity and strength is said to actually surpass him. 

 In the enormous size of its soles, the length of its claws, the 

 breadth and depth of the head, it most certainly does. This animal 

 inhabits the Rocky Mountains and the districts to the east of 

 them, often being found as far south as Mexico. It is un- 

 doubtedly the most formidable and savage beast on the American 

 continent ; exercising, apparently, an absolute terrorism over every 

 other living creature it comes in contact with. 



Grizzly bears feed only occasionally on fruits and roots when 

 flesh is absolutely unprocurable, for they prefer a diet completely 

 carnivorous, which they endeavour to obtain by attacking the 

 buffalo of the prairies whenever they can get the chance. They 



