THE BEAR. 
409 
Louisa, “ but are short, thick and much 
curved. The food of the white bear con¬ 
sists principally of fish and the flesh of the 
seal arid walrus; but he does not disdain 
birds, birds’ eggs, biscuit, flour, cloth, or, in 
fact, any thing he can get. Captain Lyon 
gives the following account of his hunting 
the seal:—‘ The bear, on seeing his intended 
prey, gets quietly into the water and swims 
until to the leeward of him, from whence, by 
frequent short dives, he silently makes his 
approaches, and so arranges his distance 
that by the last dive he comes to the spot 
where the seal is lying. If the poor animal 
attempts to escape by rolling into the water, 
he falls into the bear’s clutches; if, on the 
contrary, he lies still, his destroyer makes a 
powerful spring, kills him on the ice and 
destroys him at his leisure.’ ” 
“Is the flesh of the white bear good to 
eat?” asked Miss Taylor. “I think I have 
read in some Arctic voyages that it was un¬ 
wholesome.” 
“ It was believed to be so by some of the 
earlier travellers in those regions,” replied 
Miss Winston; “but later ones have eaten 
of it abundantly, and have found it not only 
