The Tower Menagerie : $b comprising the natural history of the animals contained in that establishment; with anecdotes of their characters and history.Bennett, Edward Turner
History
The Tower Menagerie : $b comprising the natural history of the animals contained in that establishment; with anecdotes of their characters and history.
is consequently formed by the shelving of the inferior surface alone,
their breadth remaining the same throughout the whole of their enormous
length, and their power being proportionally increased; an admirable
provision for enabling the animal to exercise to the fullest extent his
propensity for digging up the ground, either in search of food or for
other purposes. It appears, however, on the other hand, to unfit him for
climbing trees, which he never attempts; and this remarkable circumstance
in his habits affords a striking distinction between him and all the
other Bears, which are essentially climbers.
Of all the quadrupeds which inhabit the northern regions of the American
continent, the Grizzly Bear is unquestionably the most formidable and
the most dreaded. Superior to the rest of his tribe, not excepting even
the polar species, in bulk, in power, in agility, and in the ferocity of
his disposition, it is not to be wondered at that he should be regarded
by the native Indians with an almost superstitious terror, and that
some portion of this feeling should have been communicated even to the
civilized travellers, who have occasionally met with him in the wild and
desolate regions which are subject to his devastations. In the Journals
of some of these travellers we find recorded such astonishing instances
of his strength, ferocity, and extraordinary tenacity of life as would
indeed amaze us, were we not aware how much the human mind is prone,
under certain circumstances, to fall into exaggeration, in many cases
most certainly unintentional. Making, however, all due allowances for the
existence of this very natural feeling, we are bound to acknowledge that
there are few animals who can compete with this terrible beast; and that
to be made the object of his pursuit is an occurrence well calculated to
alarm the stoutest heart, even when provided with the most certain and
deadly weapons of human invention, guided by the most experienced eye,
and directed by the steadiest hand.
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