188 
FRANK FORESTER’S FIELD SPORTS. 
“ Notwithstanding it was mentioned a long time since by 
La Hontan and other writers, it has been but recently establish¬ 
ed as a distinct species in the works of systematic zoologists. 
Say was the first to give a full description of it, in the well- 
known work we have quoted at the head of this article. 
Two cubs of the Grizzly Bear were sometime since kept at 
Peale’s Philadelphia Museum. When first received they were 
quite small, but speedily gave indications of that ferocity for 
which this species is so remarkable. As they increased in size 
they became exceedingly dangerous, seizing and tearing to 
pieces every animal they could lay hold of, and expressing 
extreme eagerness to get at those accidentally brought with¬ 
in sight of their cage, by grasping the iron bars with their 
paws and shaking them violently, to the great terror of specta¬ 
tors, who felt insecure while witnessing such displays of their 
strength. In one instance an unfortunate Monkey was walking 
over the top of their cage, when the end of the chain which 
hung from his waist dropped through within reach of the Bears ; 
they immediately seized it, dragged the screaming animal 
through the narrow aperture, tore him limb from limb, and 
devoured his mangled carcass almost instantaneously. At 
another time, a small Monkey thrust his arm through the Bear 
cage, one of them immediately seized him, and, with a sudden 
jerk tore the whole arm and shoulder-blade from the body and 
devoured it before any one could interfere. They were still 
cubs, and very little more than half-grown, when their ferocity 
became so alarming as to excite continual apprehension least 
they should escape, and they were killed, in order to prevent 
such an event. * * * The following letter is from the la¬ 
mented Pike, relative to the two Grizzly Bears above mentioned. 
“ ‘ Washington, Feb. 3d, 1848. 
“ ‘ Sir :—I had the honor of receiving your note last evening, 
and in reply to the inquiries of Mr. Peale, can only give the 
following notes: 
“ ‘ The Bears were taken by an Indian in the mountain which 
divides the western branches of the Rio Del Norte and some 
