NATURAL HISTORY. : $3 
always retains its fierce, malevolent afpect, and never 
ceafes to growl or murmur 
‘Lhis animal was well known te the ancients, which 
may be feen by the number continually introduced by 
the Romans in their public fhows. scarus exhibited 
one hundred and fifty panthers in one fhow ; Pompey 
the great, four hundred and ten; and.Auguftus, four 
hundred andtwenty. Notwith{tanding which, they 
are now {warming in the fouthern parts of Guinea. 
Of the remaining animals of this kind, we fall felect 
the white bear and opoffum, 
—— OCW 
WHITE, or OLAR BEAR, 
Tats creature grows to a great fize, and is the un- 
difputed mafter of Greenland and. Spitzbergen. 
When our mariners land on thofe regions of ice, 
thefe animals come downto view them. uncertain 
whether to attack or retreat. When fhot at, or 
wounded, they endeavour to fly; but, if they find 
themfelves incapable, their refiftance never ends but 
with their death. They live upon feals, carcafes of 
whales, and fuch human bodies as they can find, or 
make their prey. Companies of them are fo daring, 
as to attack crews of armed men, and will even board 
{mall veffels. From their difpofition to refift all inva- 
fion, they feem formed by nature to convince us, that 
this inhofpitable clime was meant only for their pof- 
feflion, and that it was never defigned by Providence 
for the abode of the human fpecies. They {wim well 
and dive with great agility.—Battles frequently en- 
fue between them and the whales; in which the lat- 
ter, from being attacked in their own element, are 
generally victorious. If, however, they can capture 
_ ayoung whale, they are {ufficiently repaid for the 
_ danger of meeting the parent. rt 
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