Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1854-01-12
INTERESTING ANECDOTES OF BEARS.

INTERESTING ANECDOTES OF BEARS.
Among the carnivora. or flesh-eating animals,
bears take the first place, ranking among the
plantigrada, OF those which put the whole of
their feet firmly upon the ground when they
walk. They are occasionally cunning and fero-
cious, but often'evince good humor, and great
love of fun. In their wild state they are soli-
tary the greater part Of their lives; they climb
trees with great facility, live in caverns, holes
and hollow trees and in cold countries, retire
to some secluded spot during the winter, where
they remain concealed, and bring forth their
young Some say they are torpid but this can
not be; for the female bears come from their re-
treats with cubs which have lived upon them,
and it is not likely that they can have reared
them and remained without food. They are,
however, often very lean and wasted, and the
absorption of their generally large portion of
fat contributes to their nourishment. The story
that they live by sucking their paws is, as may
be supposed, fable when well fed, they al
ways lick their paws, often accompanying the
action with peculiar sort of mumbling noise.
There are few which never eat flesh, and all
are able to do without it. They are, generally
large, clumsy, and awkward, possessing large
claws for digging; and often walk on their hind
feet, facility afforded them by the peculiar
formation of their thigh bone. They do moi
often attack in the first instance, unless impel
led by.hunger or danger they are, however, for
midable opponents when excited.
The large polar bear with its white fur, it
long, Aattened head, and black claws, lives chief
ly on seal's 1esh but in the summer eats, berries
sea-weeds, and marsh-plants. 1t is one of th
most formidable of the race, and may be seel
climbing mountains of ice, and swimming from
foe to foe with the greatest rapidity. Captain
Lyon tells us, that when ii seal lies just ashore
the bear gets quietly into the water and swim
away from him to the leeward he then take
short dives, and manages so that the last div
shall bring him back close to the SEAL whic
tries to escape by rolling into the water, whe
he falls into the bear paws; and if he should Ii
still, the bear springs upon and devours him ii
fayorite food, however, is the floating carcasst
of whales The gait Of all bears is a sort
s shuttle; but this one goes at such rate, tha
its pace is equal to a horses gallop. 1t is RI
a markably sagacious, and often defeats the strs
Q agems practiced for his capture. A female wit
o two cubs was pursued across field of ice by
/ party of sailors at first she urged the your
f ones to increase their speed, by running in frol
of them, turning round, and evincing, by ge
ture and voice, great unxiety for their progress
but finding that their pursuers gained on ther
she alternately carried, pushed, or pitched the
> forward, until she effected their escape. II
a cubs seemed to arrange themselves for the thro'
h and when thus sent forward some yards in a
q vance ran ON till she came up with them, VIII
n- they alternately placed themselves before her.
in A she bear and two large cubs, being attra
to ted by the scent of some blubber, proceedil
t. from a sea-horse, which had been set on fre a.
ne was burning on the ice ran eagerly towards
ge dragged some pieces out Of the fames' and
Is, them with great voracity. The sailors thr'
he them some Jumps still in their possession, viii
at the old bear took away and laid before her ou