up like a hunch, separates in the middle, and falls down in different directions; its head is large, very broad at the forehead, and is the only part on which the hair is short; its snout is long, and ends in a thin, broad cartilage, overhanging the nostrils about an inch and a half; its lips are thin and very long, and seem to be furnished with muscles, by which the animal can protrude them in a most singular manner, which it never fails to do when its attention is directed to any particular object, or when food is held out to it; its eyes are small, black, and heavy, and its aspect louring; its ears and tail are short, and hid in the hair; its legs and thighs are remarkably thick and strong; it treads on its heel like a Bear, and its toes are not divided; it has five long crooked white claws on each foot, which it uses with great dexterity, either separately or together, like fingers, to break its food into smaller portions, or to convey it to its mouth. Its colour is a deep, shining black; excepting the snout and a spot above each eye, which are of a yellowish white colour; there is likewise a crescent of white underneath the throat it has no cutting teeth, but two very strong canine teeth, and six grinders, in each jaw.

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It appears to be a gentle, good-natured animal; but when irritated or disturbed, utters a short abrupt roar, like a Bear, ending in a whining tone, expressive of impatience. It feeds on bread, fruit, and nuts; is fond of honey; and will eat marrow, or the fat of meat, either raw or dressed; but refuses roots of all kinds, and the lean or muscular parts of flesh.

This rare animal is said to have been brought from the interior parts of Bengal; and that it burrows in the ground.

(Ursus Albus, Lin.-L'Ours Blanc, Buff.)

DIFFERS greatly from the common Bear in the length of its head and neck, and grows to above twice the size. Some of them are thirteen feet long. Its limbs are of great size and strength; its hair long, harsh and disagreeable to the touch, and of a yellowish white colour; its ears are short and round; and its teeth large.

It inhabits only the coldest parts of the globe, and has been found above latitude 80, as far as navigators have penetrated northwards. These inhospitable regions seem adapted to its sullen nature.

"There the shapeless Bear,

"With dangling ice all horrid, stalks forlorn :

"Slow pac'd, and sourer as the storms increase,
"He makes his bed beneath th' inclement drift;

“And, with stern patience, scorning weak complaint,
"Hardens his heart against assailing want."

It has seldom been seen farther south than Newfoundland, but abounds chiefly on the shores of Hudson's Bay, Greenland, and Spitzbergen on one side, and those of Nova-Zembla on the other. It has been sometimes found in the intermediate countries of Norway and Iceland; but such as have appeared in those parts have always been driven thither upon floating sheets of ice; so that those countries are only acquainted with them by accident.

During summer, they take up their residence on large islands of ice, and frequently pass from one to another. They swim well, and can go to the distance of six or seven leagues; they likewise dive, but do not continue long under water. When the pieces of ice are detached by strong winds or currents, the Bears allow themselves to be carried along with them; and as they cannot regain the land, or abandon the ice on which they are embarked, they often perish in the open sea. Those which arrive with the ice on the coasts of Iceland and Norway, are almost famished with hunger from the length of their voyage, and are extremely voracious. As soon as the natives discover one of them, they arm themselves, and presently dispatch him.

The ferocity of the Bear is as remarkable as its attachment to its young. A few years since, the crew of

a boat belonging to a ship in the whale fishery, shot at a Bear at a short distance, and wounded it. The animal immediately set up the most dreadful yells, and ran along the ice towards the boat. Before it reached it, a second shot was fired, and hit it. This served to increase its fury. It presently swam to the boat; and in attempting to get on board, reached its fore foot upon the gunwale; but one of the crew having a hatchet, cut it off. The animal still, however, continued to swim after them till they arrived at the ship; and several shots were fired at it, which also took effect: but on reaching the ship, it immediately ascended the deck; and the crew having fled into the shrouds, it was pursuing them thither, when a shot from one of them laid it dead upon the deck.

Its flesh is white, and is said to taste like mutton. The fat is melted for train oil; and that of the feet is used in medicine.

The White Bear brings forth two young at a time. Their fondness for their offspring is so great that they will die rather than desert them: wounds serve only to make the attachment more violent: they embrace their cubs to the last, and bemoan them with the most piteous cries.

They feed on fish, seals, and the carcases of whales. Allured by the scent of seal's flesh, they often break into the huts of the Greenlanders. They sometimes attack the morse, with which they have terrible conflicts; but the large teeth of that animal give it a decided superiority over the Bear, which is generally worsted.

ALTHOUGH naturalists, both ancient and modern, have described the Hyena under different denominations, and have ascribed to it properties which it is now known not to possess, yet its characters are so singular, that it is impossible to mistake them, and so peculiar, as to distinguish it from every other class of animals. In many respects it resembles those of the Dog kind, has some similitude to the Wolf in form and disposition, aud is about the same size.

The Hyena has only four toes on each foot; its head is broad and flat, and its muzzle shorter than that of the Wolf; its fore legs are longer than the hind ones; its ears are long, pointed, and bare; and its eyes are remarkably wild, sullen, and ferocious.