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the size of the larger polar bears, and is not only more active, but of a fiercer and more vindictive disposition. Its strength is so great that it will drag the carcass of a buffalo weighing a thousand pounds.

The following story of its powers is well authenticated:-A party of voyagers had been occupied all day in dragging a canoe up the Saskatchewan, and had seated themselves around a fire during the evening twilight. They were engaged in the agreeable task of preparing their supper, when a huge grizzly bear sprung over the canoe, which they had tilted behind them, and, seizing one of the party by the shoulder, carried him off. The remainder fled in terror, with the sole exception of one native, named Bourasso, who, grasping his gun, followed the bear as it was deliberately retreating with the man in its mouth. He called

out to his unfortunate comrade that he was afraid of hitting him if he fired at the bear; but the latter entreated him to fire instantly, because the animal was squeezing him to death. On this he took a steady aim, and lodged his ball in the body of the brute, which immediately dropped its original prey, that it might revenge itself upon Bourasso. He however escaped, though with difficulty, and the monster soon after retreated into a thicket, where it was supposed to have died. But fear prevailed over every other feeling, and no one thought it necessary too curiously to inquire.

The rescued man was found to have had his arm fractured, and to have been otherwise severely bitten; however, he afterwards recovered.

A man was attacked by a grizzly bear, which suddenly sprung out of a thicket, and scalped him by a single scratch of its tremendous claws, laying bare the skull, and pulling down the skin of the forehead quite over the eyes. Assistance being at hand, the bear was driven off without effecting further injury; but the individual attacked was left in a most unfortunate and painful predicament, for the scalp not being properly replaced, in time he lost his sight (although his eyes remained uninjured), owing to the fixing and hardening of that skinny veil.

Mr. Drummond, in his botanical trip to the Rocky Mountains, frequently met with these disagreeable companions. When he happened unintentionally to come suddenly upon them, they would rear themselves upright upon their hind legs, and utter a loud, harsh, and rapid breathing. From what is known of the habits of these animals, it is certain that had he lost his presence of mind and attempted to flee, he would have been pursued, overtaken, and torn to pieces. But the bold Forfarman stood his ground to an inch, and beating a huge botanical box made of tin, his discordant music so astounded the grizzly monsters, that, after eyeing the Scottish Orpheus for a few minutes, they generally wheeled to the right-about and galloped

away. He was, however, once attacked by a female, who was attended by her cubs. On this occasion his gun unfortunately missed fire; but he kept her at bay with the butt-end till some gentlemen of the Hudson's Bay Company, with whom he was at that time travelling, came up to his assistance, and they succeeded in driving her off.

On another occasion he observed a male and a female coming towards him, but whether by accident or design he was uncertain. However, he thought there was no great harm in climbing a tree, and as the female drew near he very ungallantly fired at and mortally wounded her. As usual in such cases, she uttered some loud screams, which threw the male into a most furious rage, and he reared himself up against the trunk of the tree on which Mr. Drummond was perched, no doubt wishing himself in some other quarter of the world than that which he then occupied. However, it is fortunately so ordained that grizzly bears either won't or can't climb; and the female, in the meantime, having retired to a short distance, lay down, and the male proceeding to condole with her, Mr. Drummond shot him too. All things considered, this was probably his most prudent course.

The geographical distribution of this species is extensive. It extends southwards as far as Mexico, and is known to inhabit the Rocky Mountains and their eastern plains at least as far as the sixty-first

degree of north latitude; and in the last-named districts it occurs most frequently in such woody regions as are interspersed with open prairies and grassy hills.

Saskatchewan.-A river in the dominion of Canada, composed of two branches, which rise in the Rocky Mountains, and after a course of about 500 miles unite. The river then flows eastward for 300 miles, and falls into Lake Winnipeg.

Mr. Drummond, a native of Forfarshire in Scotland, was assistant naturalist to Sir John Franklin's second overland expedition.

Hudson's Bay Company, a great fur-trading company, which, until quite recently, owned extensive tracts of country in British North America.

Orpheus, a famous musician of Thrace, who was supposed

to be able to charm by his music the wildest animals of the forest. Hence the word is used to denote any musician.

Rocky Mountains.—The name given to an extensive range of mountains that extend through almost the whole length of North America.

QUESTIONS:-1. What is meant by the expression "formidable"? 2. Give an idea of the strength of the grizzly bear? 3. What is its disposition? 4. Where is the Saskatchewan? 5. How were the men engaged when the bear sprung upon them? 6. Who alone retained his presence of mind? 7. Why was he afraid to fire? 8. What induced him to fire? 9. What injury had the man sustained? 10 What is meant by "scalped"? 11. Who was Mr. Drummond? 12. How did he frighten the bears? 13. What is he called in consequence? 14. Why? 15. What was the Hudson's Bay Company? 16. In what parts of the American continent is this bear found? 17. Where is it most frequently found? 18. What do you mean by the "geographical distribution" of an animal? 19. What is the geographical distribution of man?

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No sovereign of England was ever proclaimed with more universal joy than was Henry the Eighth, when, at the age of eighteen, he succeeded to the throne of his father, A.D. 1509. Tyrant and despot

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