File:Birds and nature (1901) (14746170144).jpg

Identifier: birdsnature9101unse (find matches)
Title: Birds and nature
Year: 1900 (1900s)
Authors:
Subjects: Birds Natural history
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : A.W. Mumford, Publisher
Contributing Library: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

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d in the caves of CentralEurope, indicate that this species waseven larger than our Polar Bear, whichmay measure nine feet in length. The opinion is prevalent that the move-ments of the Bear are awkward and slowand that they are neither fleet nor activein locomotion. This is true, to a certainextent, in the case of the larger species,though they are endowed with great en-durance. On the other hand the smallerspecies are notably quick and active intheir motions. In fact all species whenexcited will pass over the ground at arapid rate, their strides resembling a sortof gallop. All climb, especially whenyoung or. until their great weight pre-vents them from doing so. A few of the species are excellent swim-mers and can remain under water forsome time. The Polar Bear well illus-trates this characteristic, for it has beenseen many miles from the shore, swim-ming easily and showing a wonderfulpower of endurance. We are told that some species are sen-sible and sagacious and may be trained 12
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LIBRARYUNIVERSE Of ILLINOIS to a certain extent; but they exhibit nohigh mental development. Some indi-viduals become very tame, though theydisplay no particular affection for theirmaster and keeper. They always revertto their grosser animal instincts in oldage. for then they become wicked, in-tractable and violent. The Bears signifytheir various moods by modulations oftheir remarkable voices, finding utterancein dull growling, snorting and murmur-ing, or grunting, whistling and sometimesbarking sounds. A family of young Bears consists offrom one to six, which are fed and pro-tected in the most tender manner by theirwatchful and careful mother. Born nakedand blind, it is usually five or six weeksbefore they can see and have a season-able coat of hair. After this, they arefull of life and very playful, and theirantics are very amusing. Bears may be classed under threegroups; the Sea Bears, the Land Bearsand the Honey Bears. The Polar or White Bear is the onlyrepresentative of the first

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