U R S 



U R S 



hadly executed, had on one fide an unknown head, and on 

 the other a fphynx. 



URSOLI, a place that occurs in the Itin. of Anton, be- 

 tween Valence and Vienne. 



URSPERG, in Geography, a princely abbey of Germany ; 

 l6 miles VV.S.W. of Augfburg. 



URSULA, St., a town of the duchy of Stiria ; 8 miles 

 W.S.W. of Marburg. 



URSULINES, an order of nuns, who obfervc the rule 

 of St. Auguftine ; and are chiefly noted for taking on them 

 the education and inftruftion of young maids. 



They take their name from their inftitutrefs St. Urfula, 

 and are clothed in white, or black. 



This inftiuite was lirft eilablilhed in Italy by Angelus de 

 Brefcia, in 1537; it was afterwards approved in 1544, by 

 pope Paul III. and united in one nunnery by folemn vows, 

 by Gregory XIII. The Urfulines of France were founded 

 in 161 1 by Magdalen Lhuillier, lad)' of St. Beuve. Their 

 chief houfe is at Paris, whence they have fpread through 

 other parts of the kingdom. 



URSUS, Bear, in Zoology, a genus of the clafs of Mam- 

 malia and order of Feras, the charafters of which are, that 

 the front teeth are fix both above and below, excavated 

 within alternately ; the two lateral ones of the lower jaw 

 longer than the reft and lobated, with fmaller or fecondary 

 teeth at their internal bafes ; the canine teeth are folitary ; 

 the grinders are five or fix on each fide, the firft approxi- 

 mated to the canine teeth ; the tongue is fmooth ; the 

 fnout prominent ; eyes furniflied with a niftitating membrane. 

 Gmeliii enumerates eight fpecies, befides feveral varieties : 

 •viz.. 



Arctos. Blackifh -brown bear, with abrupt tail. This 

 is the urfuB of Gefner, Aldrovandus, Ray, &c. the ours of 

 Buffon, and brown bear of Pennant. The varieties men- 

 tioned by Gmelin are the black bear with a fmaller black 

 body, the brown bear with a brown and ferruginous body, 

 the white bear with black body and white hairs intermixed, 

 and the variegated bear with a body of various colours. 

 The common bear, with fome variations as to fize and co- 

 lour, is a native of almoft all the northern parts of Europe 

 and Afia, and is faid to be found in fome of the Indian 

 idands, as Ceylon, &c.; and the brown bear is alfo foinid in 

 fome of the northern parts of America, where it dellroys 

 cattle ; but this is a different fpecies from the American 

 black bear, which is not carnivorous. The common bear 

 inhabits woods and unfrequented places, and feeds chiefly on 

 roots, fruits, and other vegetables, occafionally preying on 

 animals. In the Alpine regions, the bear is brown ; in fome 

 other parts of Europe, black ; and in fome parts of Nor- 

 way of a grey colour, and even perfcftly white. The 

 brown, the black, the grey, and the white land bears, are all 

 of the fame fpecies : though it is obfcrved, that the brown 

 and the black varieties differ in their mode of life; the black 

 confining itfelf almoft wholly to vegetable food ; whereas the 

 brown bear frequently attacks and preys upon other animals, 

 and deftroys lambs, kids, and even fonietimes cattle, fuck- 

 ing the blood like the cat and weafel tribes. Linnius 

 adds, that the bear has a mode of blowing up his prey, and 

 of hiding or burying a part of it. Bears are faid to be 

 fond of honey, and to climb trees in fearch of it among the 

 nefls of wild bees. They fomctimcs take up their rcfidence 

 in the hollows of very large trees. They will alfo catch and 

 devour filh, occafionally frequenting the banks of rivers for 

 th.1t purpofe. 



The bear paffes a confiderablc part of the winter in a ftatc 

 of repofe and abftinence, emerging from his den occafionally 

 at diftaiit intervals, and then conccahng himfelf in his retreat 



till tlie approach of the vernal feafon. The females continue in 

 this ftate longer than the males, and during this period bring 

 forth their young, which are commonly two in number. 

 The young, though not fhapelefs animals, as fome have er- 

 roneoudy conceived, differ in their afpeft from the grown 

 animal, the fnout being much fiiarper, and their colour yel- 

 lowifli ; and they are faid to be blind for nearly a month. 



Ami'RIcanus. The black bear, with ferruginous cheeks 

 and throat ; the black bear of Pennant. This, fays Dr. 

 Shaw, is a fpecies diftinft from the black bear of Europe, 

 and has a long pointed nofe, and narrow forehead ; the hair 

 of a gloffy black colour, fmoother and (horter than that of 

 the European kind, and is generally fmaller than the Eu- 

 ropean bear. This animal inhabits all the northern parts of 

 America, and occafionally migrates to the more foutherly 

 parts in fearch of food, which is faid to be entirely vege- 

 table ; and it is affirmed, that when urged by extreme 

 hunger, they will difregard all animal food whenever they 

 can obtain a fupply of roots and grain. They, however, 

 fometimes deftroy fifli, and particularly herrings, when they 

 come up into the creeks in ftioals. Tiiey are faid to con- 

 tinue in their winter retreats, either in dens beneath the fnow 

 under ground, or in the hollows of old trees, for the fpace 

 of five or fix weeks without food. The yellow bear from 

 Carolina is fuppofed to be a variety of the former : it is 

 rather fmaller than the European bears, with a more agree- 

 able countenance, and is perfeftly tame and fociable ; the 

 colour being of a lively bright orange, inclining to reddifh ; 

 the hair is thick, long, and iilky. 



Maritimus. White bear, with elongated neck and head, 

 and abrupt tail : the urfus maritimus albus major arfticus 

 of Martens Spitzbergen, the ours blanc of Buffon, and the 

 Polar bear of Pennant. (See Polar, or White Biar.) 

 Thefe bears, when on land, feed on deer and other animals, 

 as hares, birds, &c. and various kinds of berries. They 

 are faid to be frequently feen in Greenland in large droves, 

 allured by the fcent of the flefti of feals, and will fometimes 

 furround the habitations of the natives, and attempt to break 

 in ; and it is added, that the moll fuccefsful method of 

 repelling them is by the fmell of burnt feathers. They 

 grow extremely fat, a hundred pounds of fat having been 

 taken from a fingle beaft. The llelh is coarfe, but the (kin 

 is valued for coverings of various kinds, and the Green- 

 landers often wear it for clothing. Thele lliins were for- 

 merly offered by the hunters in the ardtic regions to the high 

 altars of cathedrals and other churches, for the priell to 

 (land on during the celebration of mafs in winter. The fplit 

 tendons are faid to form an excellent thread. Pennant and 

 Shaw. For the method of hunting the bear, fee Bi;ar. 



MelES. The Badger (which fee) with unmarked tail, 

 body cinereous or grey above, black below, and a longitu- 

 dinal black band through the eyes and ears. The common 

 badger is the melcs of Gefner, the taxus of Aldrovandus, and 

 the blaireau of Buffon. This animal is an inhabitant of all 

 the temperate parts of Europe and Afia : its form is clumfy, 

 being thick-necked and thick-bodied, with very fliort legs. 

 It commonly lodge- in a hole under-ground, whence it 

 emerges in the night in quell of food, which confills chiefly 

 of roots and fruits, and occafionally of frogs, worms, &c. 

 Its eyes are fmall, and its ears fliort and round ; and the claws 

 of its fore-feet are very long and llraight, which latter circum- 

 ftance has induced Pennant to rank it under a genus dillinit 

 from that of urfus or bear. Some have, without juft rcifon, 

 diftingnidicd between the fow-badger and the dog-badger, 

 the difference being merely fcxual. The hair is thick ; the 

 teeth, legs, and claws, arc very ftrong; fo that it defends il- 

 felf vigoroufly when attacked. The young badger may be 



4 A 2 cafily 



