THE BROWN BEAR. 



Mr. BufFon conliders them as varieties of either the brown or black fpecies. 

 However the fact may be, the Brown Bear, which is the fubjecl of the 

 prefent account, is by far the moll common, and is found of two lizes, the 

 one large, the other fmall. 



The large Brown Bear is generally about fix feet in length ; his head is 

 long, his eyes fmall, and his ears fhort, in proportion to his lize ; his Ikin is 

 hard and thickly covered with long coarfe hair, notwithstanding all which, 

 he poffefles the fenfes of feeing, hearing, and feeling, in high perfection : 

 the internal furface of his nofe being very extenfive, it is probable that his 

 fmell is more exquifite than that of any other animal : his limbs are ftrong, 

 thick, and clumfy ; his feet large, and furnimed with a Ihort heel bone, 

 which makes part of the fole of the foot ; his tail is very Ihort, and hardly 

 vifible. The Brown Bear is favage and folitary ; he deftroys cattle, and feeds 

 even on carrion ; his general food, however, is roots, fruits, potatoes, corn, 

 and other vegetables. He is very fond of peas (a), " of which he will tear up 

 great quantities, and, beating them out of the mells on fome Hone or hard 

 fpotof ground, eats the grain, and carries off the Itraw." When he attacks 

 an adverfary, he feldom makes ufe of his teeth, but Itrikes very Itrongly with 

 his fore feet like a Cat, and, feizing his enemy between his paws, prelTes him 

 againft his brealt. with fo much lirength, that he almolt inflantly fqueezes his 

 opponent to death. The voice of the Bear is a deep harm murmur, which 

 he heightens by grinding his teeth, when he is enraged. Highly irafcible, 

 and capricioufly furious, he is never to be trailed, however gentle and 

 placid towards his owner he may appear, being always treacherous and 

 vindi&ive. Although his external appearance is clumfy and ftupid, he is, 

 notwithstanding, fufficiently docile, to be taught to dance in a rude and 

 awkward manner, provided his education, for this purpofe, commences when 

 he is young, and that he is kept in continual refcraint. It is impolhble to 

 tame an old Bear, or keep him in any degree of fubjeclion ; perverfe, favage, 

 and uncontrollable in his nature, he never betrays any fear of danger, and 

 obftinately refills every attempt to fubdue his ferocity. He will not turn out 



(a) Pennant. 



