BEAR, in Astronomy. See Ursa Major, and ASTRONOMY.
Order of the BEAR was a military order in Switzerland, instituted by the Emperor Frederick II. in 1213, by way of acknowledgment for the service the Swiss had done him, and in favour of the abbey of St. Gall. To the collar of the order hung a medal, on which was represented a bear raised on an eminence of earth.
BEAR or BERE ISLAND, on the S.W. coast of Ireland, in Bantry Bay, is about six miles in length and one and a half broad. It lies twelve miles from Bantry, and is of a hilly and rugged aspect.