“The strength of four men was required to drag the ferocious brute from the water; upon examining his body, he was found completely riddled; there did not appear to be four inches of his shaggy person, from the hips upward, that had not received a ball. There must have been at least thirty shots made at him, and probably few missed him; yet such was his tenacity of life that I have no doubt he would have succeeded in crossing the river, but for the last shot in the brain. He would probably weigh at the least six hundred pounds, and was about the height of an ordinary steer. The spread of the foot laterally was ten inches, and the claws measured seven inches in length. This animal was remarkably lean. When in good condition he would doubtless much exceed in weight the estimate given.”
When driven by hunger, the Grizzly Bear is especially fierce and daring in seeking his prey, and (as our illustration shows on page 35) will even approach a herd of Buffalo and attack a straying calf. He has fallen upon this young Buffalo which has foolishly wandered apart from the herd, and thrown him down. Directly will the Grizzly tear his prey upon whose body his powerful fore paws are placed, when he is interrupted in an unwelcome manner. The anguished bellowing and bleating of the fallen animal have been heard by the distant feeding herd, and the old Buffalos come immediately, their great, clumsy, heavy bodies storming along with startling swiftness to punish the Bear for his bloody deed. He sees that he must for the time being postpone his feast and prepare to protect himself against the approaching attacking party of whom especially the foremost steer, with colossal head sunk low, jaws foaming and tail thrown up, presents a vivid picture of ungovernable strength and fury. The outcome of the battle can not be doubtful to us. Although the Grizzly could easily capture a single Buffalo, his great strength can avail nothing against the whole herd of these great animals. The Bear, who is a swift runner, must either seek safety in flight, or find his end under the horns of his opponents.
The Polar Bear is a very distinct species, easily recognized by its long, flat head, as well as by the white color and smoothness of its fur. It is an inhabitant of the frozen shores of the northern hemispheres, and semi-aquatic in its habits, swimming and diving with the utmost ease and facility, for the purpose of capturing Seals, young Whales and Fish, upon which it principally feeds; nevertheless, even this animal is not altogether carnivorous, but feeds greedily on vegetable substances whenever they can be procured.
