URSUS. 
URSUS, the hear, in natural history, a 
pemis of Mammalia, of the. order Ferae. 
Generic character: six front teeth both 
above and below, the two lateral ones of 
the lower jaw lohed, and longer than the 
otliers, with smaller or secondary teeth at 
the internal bases; tasks solitary; five or 
six grinders on each side, the first approach- 
ing the tusks; tongue smooth; snout pro- 
minent ; eyes furnished with a nictitating 
membrane. There are ten species. 
XJ. arctos, the brown bear, is met with in 
almost all the northern territories of Europe 
and Asia, and lives solitary in remote fo- 
rests, subsisting principally on fruits and 
other vegetable substances, and occasionally 
devouring animals. It is particularly fond 
ef honey, and is said to possess great sap- 
city in discovering it; and will ascend high 
trees to obtain it. It frequently resides in 
the hollows of frees, and sometimes fixes 
its habitation in the banks of rivers, for the 
sake offish, which it sometimes takes and 
devours. Towards the close of autumn, it 
retires to its habitation in a state highly 
fleshy and fat, and remains for weeks toge- 
ther without food, and almost without mo- 
tion. The female withdraws to the most 
obscure recesses at the same time, to pro- 
duce her young, which are in general no 
more than two, extremely small, and in 
form little resembling the future full-grown 
animal. During the first month these are 
blind ; for four months they are attended 
by the dam with such vigilance and tender- 
ness, that she almost abstains from her own 
necessary noilrishment. After a certain 
period, the female returns to the den of the 
male with her young, which it was neces- 
sary for a time to seci-ete from him, lest he 
should devour them ; and in spring they 
quit their cavern, and range with great vo- 
racity, after their long confinement, in pur- 
suit of food. They will climb trees with 
great alacrity, and strip them almost com- 
■pletely of their fruit. The date tree is a 
particular favourite with them. These ani- 
mals are often taken young, and subdued 
to a great degree of tameness and 'docility, 
and taught a variety of tricks and dances : 
but the discipline of torture is applied to 
produce these effects; and the extreme 
cruelty requisite to accomplish these crea- 
tures for the usual exhibitions they are in- 
structed to make, are a disgrace to civilized 
society, and worthy of the interference ot 
legislation. Bears were formerly common 
in Greece ; and even in this country they 
once existed, and were guarded with jea- 
lousy by the forest laws, as beasts of chacc; 
and after their extermination they were 
imported for the diversion of baiting them, 
which was an entertainment displayed in 
honour of nobles and princes. They were 
exhibited, from Africa, in the grand specta- 
cles at Rome. See Mammalia, Plate XXI. 
fig. 4. \ 
U. Americanus, or the American bear, 
has a long pointed nose, and is generally 
smaller than the above species. It abounds 
in the northern territories of America, and 
is said to live exclusively on vegetable food, 
extreme hunger only being able to induce 
it to eat the flesh of animals. These bears 
reside in trees, mounting and descending 
them with great alertness. Their skins form 
an important article of merchandize ; their 
flesh, when young, is thought delicious ; and 
their fat is thought an admirable applica- 
tion for sprains and bruises. They are taken 
frequently by setting fire to the trees which 
they inhabit. 
U. maritimns, or the Polar bear, is nearly 
double the size of the common bear, and is 
stated to have been seen of the length of 
twelve feet. It is completely white. Its 
principal residence is on the shores of 
Greenland and Hudson’s Bay, and it inha- 
bits only the coldest regions of the world. 
It possesses the most formidable strength 
and ferocity. The sailors of Barenfz, in 
his voyage in quest of a north-east passage 
to China, were assaulted in their boat by 
these animals, carried off, and devoured 
within the view of their companions. They 
will attempt to board armed ships, and, de- 
fying every obstacle with the most fearless 
energy, have sometimes only with the great- 
est difficulty been prevented. They subsist 
on fishes, seals, and whales, ‘at sea ; and by ' 
land devour birds, hares, deer, and various 
other animals; and will also 'eat berries and 
various other vegetables. In Greenland they 
sometimes surround the habitations of the 
natives, allured by the strong smell of the 
seal oil, and attempt to break through to 
commit their depredations; but are re- 
ported to be effectually repelled by the 
smell of burnt feathers. In winter they 
ingulph themselves in the snow, or immure 
themselves in some cavern, where they pass 
in torpor the Polar night, making their 
egress only with the re appearance of the 
.sun : in summer they are often found on 
large masses of floating ice at sea, and, 
swimming with great excellence, they pass 
from one of these to apother witli much 
facility ; they are sometimes, however, car- 
