THE BROWN BEAR. 



of his path at the fight of a man, or even endeavour to £hun him ; but it is 

 alTerted, that he is fo far furprifed and confounded by a particular fort of 

 whittle, as to rife upon his hind feet, which is the precife time to moot and 

 endeavour to kill him. 



The Brown Bear inhabits the moft dangerous precipices of unfrequented 

 mountains ; a cavern which has been hollowed by time, or the cavity of 

 fome old enormous tree, fituate in the moft gloomy and retired parts of the 

 foreft, are the places he fixes on for his den. To one of thefe he retires at the 

 approach of winter, and there palfes fome weeks in gloomy folitude, without 

 provifions, and almoft without motion. He does not, however, appear to be 

 totally deprived of fenfation, like the Bat and fome other animals, but feems 

 to fubfift on the fuperfluity of fat acquired before his retirement, and does 

 not feel the calls of returning appetite, until that fupply is exhaufted, and he 

 is become lean; he then ifiues forth in fearch of food, and nothing comes 

 amifs to him ; he makes the bell ufe of his time in the fummer, to fupply 

 the lofs he has fuftained by his winter abftinence, and by the beginning 

 of autumn, he becomes fo fat, as to be hardly able to walk ; at this 

 period the fat on his fides and thighs is fometimes ten inches thick. It has 

 been faid that the male quits his winter retreat at the end of forty days, but 

 that the female continues in it during four months, till fhe has brought up her 

 young. Mr. BufFon thinks this highly improbable, as the female, having young 

 now to nourilh with her milk, fiands in much greater need of fupply than the 

 male ; however this may be, it is certain that the females, after conception, 

 retire into the moil fecret and folitary places, left the male ftiould devour the 

 young, which they never fail to do, if they find them. It is affirmed, as 

 matter of fact, that among the many hundreds (a ) of Bears killed in America 

 during winter, which is the breeding feafon, fcarcely one female is found, fo 

 impenetrable is their retreat during that period. (b) The female goes with 

 young from fix to feven months, and, previous to her confinement, provides 



(a) Out of five hundred Bears that were killed in one winter, in two counties of Virginia, only two 

 females were found, and thofe were not prrgnant. Lnnufon 11/, quoted by Pennant. 



(b) Buffon's Supplement. 



