An animal of extraordinary strength, able with a stroke of its paw to
lift a big seal right out of the water and send it crashing along the
ice. The food consists chiefly of seals. The sexes wander separately. A
hole is often dug as a winter retreat, but there is no hibernation. A
polar bear in captivity has been seen making a current with its paw in
the water of its pool in order to secure floating buns without
trouble--an instance of sheer intelligence.]
[Illustration: _From the Smithsonian Report_, 1914