THE POLAR BEAR. 245

and intractable. While he is not the wise
animal the grizzly is, he is more cunning
and is certainly not a coward.

There are times when he is not content
with being let alone, but will take the ag-
gressive. Greely writes: “Doctor Cope-
land was surprised only fifty yards from
the ship by a bear which broke from a bar-
rier of ice hummocks, galloped up to within
five paces, reared up and struck him down
with both forepaws. Copeland had no time
to load his gun, but as the animal caught
his clothes, he swung the butt across his
snout. This and the noise of approaching
comrades put the bear to flight, and he
started off with the swinging gallop pecul-
iar with him.”

The mother bear and cubs display a
great fondness for one another. Koldeway
says: “No sooner did the young ones per-
ceive the hunter than they galloped toward
their mother, who in two strides turned
and stood by them, with such rage ex-
pressed in all her actions that we knew we