took passage for Panama. Crossing the famous isthmus to
Porto Bello, they shipped again for New Orleans, on the Mississippi. Of
course, their next aim was to procure the North American bears--
including the Polar, which is equally an inhabitant of northern Asia,
but which, by the conditions of their route, would be more conveniently
reached on the continent of North America. Alexis knew that the black
bear (_ursus americanus_) might be met with anywhere on that continent
from the shores of Hudson's Bay to the isthmus of Panama, and from the
seaboard of the Atlantic to the coast of the Pacific Ocean. No other
has so wide a range as this species--with the exception, perhaps, of the
brown bear of Europe--which, as we have said, is also an Asiatic animal.
Throughout the whole extent of country above defined, the black bear
may be encountered, not specially confining himself to mountain-ranges.
True, in the more settled districts he has been driven to these--as
affording him a refuge from the hunter; but in his normal condition he
is by no means a mountain-dwelling animal. On the contrary, he affects
equally the low-wooded bottoms of ravines, and is as much at home in a
climate of tropical or sub-tropical character, as in the cold forests of
the Canadas.

Mr Spencer Baird--the naturalist intrusted by the American Government
to describe the _fauna_ of their territory, and furnished for his text
with one of the most splendid collections ever made--in speaking of the
genus _ursus_, makes the following remarks:--

"The species of bears are not numerous, nor are they to be found except
in the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. North America
possesses more species than any other part of the world, having at least
four, and perhaps five."

With the exception of the very idle assertion that "the species of bears
are not numerous," every idea put forth in the above categorical
declaration is the very reverse of what is true.

Is the polar bear found only in the temperate regions of the northern
hemisphere? Is the _ursus arctos_ of Europe confined to these limits?
Are the bears of South America?--the sloth bear of India and Ceylon?--
the bruang of Borneo?--and his near congener, the bruang of Java and
Sumatra? Why, these last are actually dwellers among palm-trees--as the
cocoa-planters know to their cost! Even Mr Baird's own American black
bear is not so "temperate" in his habits; but loves the half-tropical
c