ORDER OE CARNIVORA. 
427 
speaking, climbs trees with facility. Bears can stand upright on 
their hind legs ; and this is the attitude which they usually 
assume in charging an enemy ; but in this position they advance 
but slowly. 
Their strength is enormous ; with little difficulty they can crush 
a man to death in their arms. Tschudi, in his work on the 
Alpine world, records that the Alpine Bear is able to carry off a 
cow through the roof of a stable, and to convey a horse across a 
deep torrent. 
In eating, Bears sit down like Dogs, and taking the food up 
in their paws raise it to their mouths, at the same time lowering 
their muzzles so as to meet the food half-way. 
The female Bear brings forth every year two or three young 
ones, of which she takes tender care, and protects them against 
every danger, even at the peril of her own life. During the first 
few months of their existence she prevents the male from coming 
near them, for he would devour them without fail. Nor does 
she abandon her progeny until a fresh litter claims her attention. 
Like the Cat, she is in the habit of licking the cubs with her 
tongue to clean them. 
When it has plenty of food, the body of the Bear, under the 
skin, is enveloped with a thick layer of fat. In the olden time, 
certain marvellous curative qualities were attributed to this grease. 
At the present day these ideas are generally discarded ; but it is 
a well-known fact that Bears’ fat may be used instead of butter, 
without any injury to culinary preparations, provided that an 
odour which is peculiar to it is previously destroyed. This is 
effected by melting, at the same time throwing among it salt, 
afterwards sprinkling the whole with cold water. In many 
countries the flesh of the Bear is deemed a delicacy ; the taste of 
it resembles pork of a superior flavour. Lastly, its fur is utilised ; 
true enough, it is rough, but it is warm, and is well adapted for 
making travelling cloaks and carriage rugs. 
When caught young, the Bear may be easily tamed, and its 
docility of nature enables it to learn numerous amusing tricks, 
among others, dancing, performing somersaults, &c. It will not, 
however, always voluntarily exhibit its acquirements without 
expressing its unwillingness by deep growling ; and, as it is 
capricious, it sometimes gets angry when it is coerced. It is, 
