d in the pit, fortunately before Martin had
touched them; and the authorities of the establishment thought it
prudent to remove him to a den in the menagerie. The front of these dens
was closed at night with a sliding shutter, pulled down by inserting a
hook at the end of a long pole into a ring, which ring, when the shutter
was down, served to admit a bolt. This did not at all please Martin, and
the keeper never could accomplish the fastening, till some one else went
to the other side to take off the bear's attention; for the moment the
shutter was down, Martin inserted his claws and pushed it up again, and
this practice was continued as long as he existed.

The Malayan Sun bear (Ursus Malayensis) has a long tongue, short smooth
fur, very extensible, flexible lips, and large claws. Sir Stamford
Raffles had one which was brought up in the nursery with his children,
and when he joined the party at table, would only eat the choicest
fruit, and drink champagne, and even be out of humour when there was
none of the latter. He was very affectionate, and never required to be
chained or chastised. This bear, a cat, a dog, and a lory from New
Holland, used to eat amicably out of the same dish. His favorite
playfellow, however, was the dog, although he was teased and worried by
it incessantly. He grew to be very powerful, and pulled plants and trees
up by the roots, the latter of which were too large for him to embrace.

The Bornean bear (Ursus Euryspilus) is one of the most amusing and
playful of all bears; begs in the most earnest manner, and when it has
more to eat than it can hold in its paws and mouth, places the surplus
on its hinder feet, as if to keep it from being soiled; and when vexed
or irritated, will never be reconciled as long as the offender is in its
sight. It does much injury to cocoa-nut trees, by biting off the top
shoots, or tearing down the fruit.

[1] Captain Phipps' Voyage to the North Pole.

[2] L'Acadie.

[3] Ruxton.

BADGERS.

Badgers belong to the same division of Carnivora as Bears, but differ
from them, not only in size, but in dentition. This, while they claim a
sort of miniature relationship, forms them into a separate genus. They
afford many a day of what is called sport, to those who choose to hunt
them, during which they evince much sagacity in their efforts to escape;
but I am happy to say the custom of tying them into an empty cask, and
baiting them with dogs, no longer exists.