[Three Hundred Animals Contents]
IS a well-known quadruped of the cat kind, who makes use of his tusks in seizing his prey, but embraces it with his paws and squeezes it to death against his breast. The Bear is found in several parts of the world; some of them live upon acorns, herbaceous food, and on honey; some others on fish, flesh, and even carrion. The brown Bear of the Alps and Switzerland, though illshaped and uncouth, is often dragged along our streets, and made an amusing shew to the gazing multitude. We have, however, to congratulate mankind that the stern and ferocious entertainment of bear-baiting is entirely become out of fashion. The Bear is a great sleeper, and passes the whole winter in his den without any particular food; but is we consider his being at rest, losing little by perspiration, and never retiring before he is properly fattened, his abstinence will cease to be so wonderful. The American Bear is of a glossy black. The frozen regions of Greenland, Iceland, &c. offer a white kind of the same animals, which are sometimes thirteen feet in length. They live entirely on fish, though they can eat flesh when it comes in their way. The female Bears bring forth two or three young, and are very jealous of their offspring. This animal has given name to two of the most conspicuous constellations near the northern pole, from the fable of Calisto, a nymph of Diana, who was seduced by Jupiter. The fat of the Bear is reckoned very useful in rheumatic complaints, and for anointing the hair; his fur affords comfort to the inhabitants of cold countries, and ornaments to those of milder climates.
