Page:Charles Catton, Animals (1788).pdf/23



wonderful variety of quadrupeds, and the frequent variations in each pecies, lead the thinking mind at once to admire the boundles productions of nature, and to confes, that man with all his acquirements of knowledge, is but very lenderly informed, and at bet but uperficially wie; that more knowledge and additional dicoveries tend les to perfection, than to excite inquiry after a train of endles reearches.

The animal we are now to decribe is of a form unknown, of a pecies never decribed, with peculiarities which have never preented themelves, or ele have ecaped notice.

The "PETRE BEAR," (which is the name we have been directed to call it by a very able naturalit) was brought to England in Augut lat, by Capt. Pearon, on board a hip belonging to the India Company, whoe report is, that it was brought from Patna in the province of Bengal, and when it firt came into his poeion was very young, nearly a cub;—here information leaves us: the manner in which it was caught, or the place and circumtances attending, were not related; we mut therefore ret contented with a decription of its everal parts, noticing uch peculiarities, as have been oberved ince it came to England. The animal is a female, and is now to be een at the beat hop, Holborn-hill, London.

The Petre Bear (if the name be allowed) has five claws on the fore feet, between two and three inches long, nearly of the ame thicknes, and not very bulky: the hair all over the body is of a rutyih black colour, very harh and coare, between twelve and eighteen inches long; that on the houlder rather longer, which it can draw forwards, or lay backwards: the form of the head, and chiefly the mouth, is the principal characteritic of the animal; this we have endeavoured to render as intelligible as poible, by adding a view of the mouth when open: from the eyes to the tip of the noe, is about 6 ½ inches, which tapers off like the truncated nout of wine: the front of the mouth, when hut, is flat alo, like the wine: the formation of the notrils differs from every other animal’s, the natural hape being exactly as hewn in the drawing: the lips project very far (two or three inches) beyond the front teeth: the lower lip, as well as the upper one, with the notrils, are very flexible, over which the animal has great command, placing them in any poition at pleaure; has great power of uction, and will draw things into its mouth at a coniderable ditance: the tongue is rather mall: teeth at preent few: was fed, on board the hip, with boiled rice and ugar; at preent on bread (about a quartern loaf per day): with ome difficulty was brought to eat fleh, which it does now with a relih: is very tame; appears pleaed when kindly noticed, oliciting play: exprees anger with a kind of accented growl, omething like barking: its paws, when laid together, it ucks with a tremulous noie, like one when haking with pain: the feet are hort; has nails on the hind legs: drinks, or rather ucks water in coniderable quantity: general appearance black, face grey, tands about 2 ½ feet high, 5 feet long, has grown coniderably ince it has been in England.

Upon the whole, this may be conidered as a very uncommon creature, as well for its formation, as the very extraordinary circumtance of o thick and coare a fur to a native of o warm a country; the general appearance alo is that of a Bear, whereas we know of none in thoe climes, nor any animal whoe appearance can lead us to ugget to what breed it belongs, or by what mixture or chance it is likely to owe its birth. Time and further inquiry only can clear up thee at preent ingular facts.