URSUS. 
iried to vast distances from land, and perish 
for want of the means of subsistence. They 
produce generally two young ones at a 
birth, and the attachment between these 
and the dam is one of the strongest exhi- 
bited in the whole animal creation. The 
natives of Kamtschatka always avoid firing 
at a young bear if the dam be present, as 
the rage of the latter to revenge the injury 
is active and unbounded, and she rushes to 
the spot from which the attack was made 
with almost irresistible rapidity and fury : 
she moreover deplores the destruction ol 
her cubs by sounds and gesticulation, indi- 
cating the most violent and heart-rending 
sorrow, folding them, though lifeless, to her 
bosom, attempting to recover them back 
to animation, and continuing by them long 
after the last spark of life has been extin- 
guished in them. Tho fondness of the young 
for the parent is little less strong and im- 
pressive. These creatures are hunted by 
the natives of Kamtschatka with great skill, 
intrepidity, and success : if the hear should 
not instantly fall by a musket-shot, or be 
disabled from running, he rushes towards 
his antagonist animated with the completest 
spirit of vengeance ; and, should he not in 
this instant be received upon the spear, 
■which is dexterously prepared to transfix 
him at the critical moment, the death of 
the hunter is almost the certain and imme- 
diate consequence. Fatal results have not 
unfrequcntly attended the sportsmen in 
these conflicts. These animals have consi- 
derable sagacity, and are stated, upon re- 
spectable authority, to ascend rocks with 
extreme caution, to avoid the observance of 
a herd of bareins feeding beneath, and 
which, on account of the Speed of the latter, 
they could not openly approach : from these 
summits, however, they will loosen and roll 
down large stones, and thus destroy or mu- 
tilate their prey beneath, descending after- 
wards to enjoy the rich reward of their 
stratagem and toil. The inhabitants of 
Kamtscliatka are reported to pride them- 
selves in imitating the movements of the 
bears in their dances, and to acknowledge 
themselves highly indebted tp them for the 
application of various simples for wounds 
and diseases. The morse is one of the most 
formidable enemies of the bear, and gene- 
rally triumphs from the advantage of its 
lengthened and formidable tusks. See 
Mammalia, Plate XXI. fig. 5. 
The U. gulb, or glutton, is about three 
feet long, exclusively of its tail, which is 
one foot in length. It is met with in the 
northern regions of Europe and Asia. Its 
name is characteristically derived from its 
habits, as it preys with extreme voracity 
on almost every species of animal food, in 
its fresh or putrid state. It is said to lay 
wait in trees, and to spring on a variety of 
animals passing unsuspectingly beneath, 
and, after exhausting them by sucking their 
blood, to tear them in pieces and devour 
them. It produces from two to four young 
once a year. Its strength and ferocity are 
such, that it sometimes contends for its 
prey victoriously, even with the wolf or the 
bear. The skin of this animal is an article 
of commerce, and it is most esteemed as 
such in proportion as its colour approaches 
to a perfect blackness. 
U. luscus, or the wolverene, is supposed 
to be merely a variety of the former. It 
has been brought into this country from 
Hudson’s Bay, about twice the size of a fox, 
and was in this instance perfectly tame and 
inoffensive. 
U. tutor, or the racoon, is a native of 
America and the West Indies, of a grey 
colour, and with a head shaped like that of 
a fox, and of the length pf between two 
and three feet without the tail. Its natural 
food consists of fruits, young sugar-canes, 
and unripe maize ; and also, it is thought, 
of eggs and poultry. It is nocturnal, and 
seldom quits its hole by day; and during 
the rigours of winter, it continues there in 
a state of abstinence and perhaps of torpor,.. 
It may be domesticated with great facility, 
and is seen in this familiar state in many 
houses in America. It is agile and spright- 
ly, ascends trees with great ease, is parti- 
cularly fond of vegetable sweets, and averse 
from acid substances, and, while taking its 
food, generally uses its fore feet as hands, 
sitting on its hind ones. It is said to have 
an admirable tact at opening oysters and 
other shell-fish, and is extremely cleanly in 
all ils habits. Its fur is highly useful in the 
manufacture of hats. 
U. meles, or the common badger, is 
about two feet fiom the nose to the tail, 
and is found in almost all the temperate 
regions both of Europe and Asia, living in 
subterranean habitations, which its feet are 
admirably adapted for preparing. Its food 
consists of fruits and roots, frogs and in- 
sects^; and the resemblance of its teeth to 
those of beasts of prey, makes it probable 
that it destroys lambs and larger animals, 
which it is stated to do ; in a domestic state 
it prefers raw flesh to every other species 
pf food. It w ill attack bee-hives, to.obtain 
I 
