. Animals in menageries. the Rocky Mountains. The geographical range of this species is very ex-tensive. Dr. Richardson says it inhabits the RockyMountains and the plains to the eastward, and lieutenantPike affirms that it extends southward as far as Mexico. The fur is long, and mostly of a dark brown colour,with paler tips; there is also a mixture of grey hairson the head. The muzzle is pale, without the darkcentral stripe seen in the black species: it is furtherdistinguished, both from that and the brown bear, byshorter and more conic ears, placed further apart; and* North. Zool. i. 28. POLA
. Animals in menageries. the Rocky Mountains. The geographical range of this species is very ex-tensive. Dr. Richardson says it inhabits the RockyMountains and the plains to the eastward, and lieutenantPike affirms that it extends southward as far as Mexico. The fur is long, and mostly of a dark brown colour,with paler tips; there is also a mixture of grey hairson the head. The muzzle is pale, without the darkcentral stripe seen in the black species: it is furtherdistinguished, both from that and the brown bear, byshorter and more conic ears, placed further apart; and* North. Zool. i. 28. POLAR BEAR. 65 by white, arched^ and very long claws, compressed likethe cutting teeth of a squirrel. The tail is very shortso as to be hidden by the hair of the buttocks: this isa peculiar distinction ; since that of the black speciesis sufficiently conspicuous, and that of the barrenground bear is even still longer. The Polar or Sea Bear. Ursus maritimus, Linn. LOurs blanc, Buffon. Ursus ma-Polar Bear, Pennant. ( Fig. 8.). This ferocious wanderer of the arctic circle is dis-tinguished from all other bears by its small narrow head,and lengthened muzzle. Its colour is invariably yel-lowish white; but this distinction is not to be entirelydepended upon, since other species are occasionally foundof the same colour towards the regions of eternal adapted, by his structure and his instinct, forswimming and diving, the polar bear procures amplesustenance in regions where man would perish fromhunger. He is the appointed inhabitant of those float-ing fields of ice which stretch to the northern he carries on an almost constant w^arfare with fish,seals, foxes; and is known even to attack the formidablewalrus. He scents his prey at a vast distance^ andseems greedily to devour every thing that comes in hisway. He will frequently be carried on the ice fromGreenland to Iceland ; where the white bears commit 66* ANIMALS IN MENAGERIES. such ravages on the flocks, that the
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Keywords: ., bookauthorrichmondch, bookcentury1800, booksubjectanimalbehavior
