The Living Animals of the World, Volume I: Mammals

HALF-GROWN POLAR BEARS.

When young polar bears are brought to England or New York on board ship, they arrive with coats almost as yellow asa sponge. It takes a week's bathing to restore the pure white colour. The Arctic explorer Nordenskidld saw much of the ice-bears on his voyages, and left us what is perhaps the best description of their attempts to stalk men, mistaking them for other animals, “When the polar bear observes a man,” he writes in his “ Voyage of the Vega,” “he commonly approaches him as a possible prey, with supple movements and a hundred zigzag bends, in order to conceal the direction he means to take, and to prevent the man feeling frightened. During his approach he often climbs up on to blocks of ice, or raises himself on his hind legs, in order to get a more extensive view. If he thinks he has to do with a seal, he creeps or trails himself forward on the ice, and is then said to conceal with his fore paws the only part of his body that contrasts with the white colour of the snow—his large black nose. If the man keeps quite still, the bear comes in this way so near that it can be shot at the distance of two gun-lengths, or killed with a lance, which the hunters consider safer.” When a vessel lies at anchor, a polar bear sometimes swims out to it, to inspect the visiting ship; it has also a special fancy for breaking open and searching stores of provisions,

of the World 124 The Living Animals .| beats abandoned and covered over, and cabins of wrecked ships. One - bear which had looted aFl^^^^.^^^|_^^^^^__Wk provision depot was found to have swallowed a quantity of sticking-plaster. The ice-bear has been met swimming at a distance of eighty miles from land, and with no ice in sight. This shows how thoroughly aquatic its habits and powers are. Polar bears do not husfO their victims, like the brown but bite, and use Photo by G. W. Wilson Co., Ltd.] [Aberdeen. bear, THE ICE-BEAR'S COUCH. their immense feet and

A favourite attitude of the polar bear is to lie stretched on its stomach, with the hind and fore sharp claws. It has been legs extended flat. The head often lies between the fore paws. Notice the hair on the feet, which said that when one catches keeps the animal from slipping when on the ice. a seal on the ice it will play with it as a cat does with a mouse. The size of these bears varies very much. Seven or eight feet from the tip of the nose to the tail is the usual length; yet they have been known to exceed even 13 feet in length. This would correspond to an immense difference in bulk and weight. An ice-bear was once found feeding on the body of a white whale, 15 feet in length, and weighing three or four tons. The whale could not have got on to the ice by itself, and it is difficult to imagine that any other creature except the bear could have dragged it there from the sea, where it was found floating. "When hunting seals, polar bears will chase them in the water as an otter does a fish, but with what result is not known. Besides stalking them in the manner described above, they will mark the place at which seals are basking on the rim of an ice-floe, and then dive, and come up just at the spot where the seal would naturally drop into the water. Those shot for the sake of their skins are nearly all it.killed when swimming in the sea. The hunters mark a bear on an ice-floe, and approach The bear always tries to escape by swimming, and is pursued and shot through the head from the boat. When the females have a cub or cubs with them, they will often attack persons or boats which molest them; otherwise they do not willingly interfere with man, except, as has been said above, when they mistake men for seals or other natural prey.

The instances recorded of the affection shown by these animals for their young are somewhat pathetic. When the Carcase frigate, which was engaged on a voyage of Arctic discovery, was locked in the ice, a she-bear and two cubs made their way to the ship, attracted by the scent of the blubber of a walrus which the crew had killed a few days before. They ran to the fire, and pulled off some of the walrus-flesh which remained unconsumed. The crew then threw them large lumps of the flesh which were lying on the ice, which the old bear fetched away singly, and laid before her cubs as she brought it, dividing it, and giving each a last piece,share, and reserving but a small portion for herself. As she was fetching away the the sailors shot both the cubs dead, and wounded the dam. Although she could only lastjust crawl to the place where the cubs lay, she carried the lump of flesh which she had fetched away, and laid it before them; and when she saw that they refused to eat, laid her paws on them, and tried to raise them up, moaning pitifully. When she found she could not allstir them, she went to some distance, and looked back, and then returned, pawing them over and moaning. Finding at last that they were lifeless, she raised her head towards the ship and uttered a growl, when the sailors killed her with a volley of musket-balls.

CHAPTER VII.

THE SMALLER CARNIVORA.

THE RACCOON FAMILY.

LINK between the Bears and the Weasel Tribe is made by the RACCOONS and their A allies. They are bear-like in having a short, thick body, and in their flat-footed manner of walking; also in their habit of sitting up on end, and using their paws as hands, to some extent, in aiding them to climb. But they are also much like the Civets; and the pretty little CACOMIXLE, or KING-TAILED CAT of Mexico, was formerly classed with the civets. They are all very active, enterprising, and quick-witted creatures of no great size, very different in temperament from the bears.

Photo by Scholastic Photo. Co.] [Parson's Green. THE RACCOON. COMMON RACCOON.

isThis of the Raccoon representative the typical Family. in It is found The type of the family is the AMERICAN most also in and South America. the United States, parts of RACCOON itself. Its scientific name of " Lotor," the " Washer," was given to it from an odd habit these creatures have of wetting and washing their food in any water which is near. One kept at the Zoo washed her kittens so much when they were born that they all died. The 'coon inhabits America from Canada to the south as far down as Paraguay. In size it is equal to a common fox, but is short and stout. Restless, inquisitive, and prying, it is a most mischievous beast where farm-yards and poultry are within reach. It kills the fowls, eats the eggs, samples the fruit, and if caught shams dead with all the doggedness of an opossum. It is very fond of fish and shell-fish. Oysters are a special dainty, Photo by c. Reid] as are mussels and clams. RACCOON. A ffentleman Who ker)t One This animal has the of always washing its food, if possible, before it eats it. 125

of the World The Living Animals

says: " It opens oysters with wonderful skill. It is sufficient for it to break the hinge with its teeth; its paws complete the work of getting out the oyster. It must have a delicate sense of touch. In this operation it rarely avails itself of sight or smell. It passes the oyster under its hind paws; then, without looking, it seeks with its hands the weakest place. It there digs in its claws, forces asunder the valves, and tears out the flesh in fragments, leaving nothing behind." Its favourite haunt is in the cane-

Photo by A. S. Rudland & Sons. brakes of the south. There GREAT PANDA. the planters follow it by night This very rare animal is found on the high plateau of Tibet. with dogs, and shoot it in the trees in which it takes refuge. The skins, with handsome alternations of yellow and brown, make fine carriage-rugs.

THE COATIS.

The COATIS are small arboreal creatures, with the habits of a raccoon and squirrel fairly proportioned. They are flesh-eaters, but active and playful. Their long pig-like snouts give them an unpleasant appearance. They inhabit Mexico and Central and South America as far as Paraguay. Several specimens are generally to be seen at the Zoological Gardens. Their habits are much the same as those of the small tree-climbing cats, but with something of the badger added. Insects and worms, as well as birds and small animals, form their food.

THE PANDAS AND KINKAJOU.

is a very interesting Among the small carnivorous mammals the BEAR-CAT, or PANDA, creature. Its colour is striking a beautiful red-chestnut above, the lower surface jet-black, is fine also. It is found in the Easternthe tail long and ringed. The quality of the fur is a muchHimalaya, and is as large as a badger. The GREAT PANDA, from Eastern Tibet, larger, short-tailed, black-and-white animal, once thought to be a bear. The KINKAJOU has a prehensile tail, and uses its paws as hands so readily that it was formerly placed among the lemurs. It is a native of Southern and intertropical America. Nocturnal, and living in the great forests, it is seldom seen by man. Its head is round and cat-like, its feet are the same, itbut with non-retractile claws, and it has a long, full tail. It has a long tongue, with which can lick out insects from the crevices and holes of trees. Baron von Humboldt says that it attacks the nests of wild bees. It uses its tongue to draw objects of food towards it, even if they are not living. A pleasant description of this animal appeared in Charles Knight's " Museum of Animated Nature," published many years ago: ' In its aspect there is something of gentleness and good-nature. In captivity it is extremely playful, familiar, and fond of being noticed. One lived in the gardens of the Zoological Society for seven years. During the greater part of the morning it was asleep, rolled up in a ball in its cage. In the afternoon it was accustomed.it would come out, traverse its cage, take food, and play with those to whom Clinging to the top wires of its cage with its tail and hind paws, it would thus swing itself

The Smaller Carnivora 127

it would bringbackwards and forwards. When thus hanging, its fore paws to the bars, as well as the hind pair, and in its cage with thethis manner would travel up and down utmost address, every now and then thrusting out its long tongue between the wires, as if in quest of food, which, when offered to it, it would endeavour to draw in between the wires with this organ. It was very fond of being gently itstroked and scratched, and when at play with any one knew it would pretend to bite, seizing the hand or fingers itswith its teeth, as a dog will do when playing with it was full of animation,master. As the evening came on, and exhibited in every movement the most surprising energy."