70 
NATURAL HISTORY. 
Africa as the tiger is to Afia. Although 
hunger impels it to attack every thing that 
has life, without diftindtion, yet it difiers 
from the tiger, in preferring, at other times, 
the flefli of animals to that of mankind.— 
Like the tiger, it feints its prey by furprife, 
and will climb trees in purfuit of monkies, 
and other creatures which feck an afylum 
there. It always retains its fierce, malevo- 
lent afpedl, and never ceafes to growl or 
murmur. 
This animal was well known to the anci- 
ents, which may be Icen by the number con' 
tinually introduced by the Romans in their 
public fhows. Scarus exhibited 1 50 panthers 
in one lliow : Pompey the great, 410; and 
Auguflus, 420. Notwithftanding which, they 
are now fwarming in the fouthern parts of 
Guinea. 
Of the remaining animals of this kind, 
we fhall feledl the white bear, and the opof- 
fum. 
The WHITE or POLAR BEAR. 
T his creature grows to a great fize, and 
is the ur.dilputed mailer of Greenland 
and Sjiitzbcrgen. When our mariners land 
on thofc regions of ice, thefe animals come 
down to view them, uncertain whether to 
attack or retreat. When Ihot at, or wound' 
cd, 
j 
