Note 18 — PETER KALM’s TRAVELS. (continued 5)

This has all the appearance of a vulgar error: neither does the succeeding account of the American bears being carnivorous, agree with the observations of the most judicious travellers, who deny the fact. P.

But however it might be easible to reconcile both opinions. For Europe has two or three kinds of bears, one species of which is carnivorous, the other lives only on vegetables: the large brown species, with its small variety, are reputed to be carnivorous, the black species is merely phytivorous. In case therefore both species are found in North America, it would be very easy to account for their being both carnivorous and not. F. ↑