168 WILD ANIMALS. 



about the size of an Englisli sheep-dog, covered witli long, shaggy, 

 brownish-coloured hair. This was a young bear, born on Mount 

 Lebanon, in Syria. Directly he found himself free, he proceeded 

 to make the most of his liberty, and the door beiog open, away 

 he rushed down the cloisters and made straight for the chapel, 

 where service was being performed. As soon as he had reached 

 the door, the verger, who was standing there, made a tremendous 

 flourish with his silver wand, and darting back into the chapel, 

 bolted himself into a tall pew. The bear then amused himself 

 by scampering about the large quadrangle and frightening all 

 the dogs that used to congregate there ; at last, after a sharp 

 chase, he was recaptured, a gown being thrown over his head, and 

 led back and secured. This bear, named Tiglath-pileser, being both 

 a goodnatured and amusing beast, full of tricks, became a great 

 favourite with the undergraduates. A cap and gown were made 

 for him, and to the great scandal of the dons, he used to be 

 attired in these articles whenever he accompanied his master to 

 breakfast and wine parties, where he was said to have contributed 

 greatly to the diversion of the company, while he regaled him- 

 self on the good things procurable, his favourite dainties being 

 muffins and ices. Tig, as he was familiarly called, used often to 

 accompany his master when he took walking exercise, and at other 

 times rode on horseback with him. Despite Tig's amiable dispo- 

 sition, he was subject to fits of rage, during which his violence 

 was extreme, but a little humouring soon brought him round. 

 When left alone he would cry for hours. This propensity soon 

 brought him into disfavour with the authorities, and it resulted in 

 his master being informed that " he or the bear must leave 

 Oxford the next morning;" accordingly, there being no other 

 way out of the difficulty, the animal had to go. He was first 

 sent to Islip, a living held by Dean Buckland, near Oxford, and 

 getting into mischief there, was shipped off to the Zoological 

 Gardens, but the change was too great, he refused food, paced 

 restlessly up and down his cage, trying to escape, and had hardly 

 become reconciled to his altered circumstances when one morning 

 he was found dead. 



The collection of bears in the possession of the Zoological 



