THE GRIZZLY BEAR. 321 



blows with its huge paws, armed with their array of trenchant talons, and holding its power- 

 ful teeth in readiness for a close combat. So tenacious of life is the Grizzly Bear, that 

 unless it receives a wound in the head or heart it will continue its furious struggles, even 

 though it be riddled with bullets and its body pierced with many a gaping wound. 

 These warlike capacities render the creature respected by the natives and colonists, and 

 the slaughter of a Grizzly Bear in fair fight is considered an extremely high honor. 

 Among the native tribes that dwell in the northern portions of America, the possession 

 of a necklace formed from the claws of the Grizzly Bear is considered an enviable mark 

 of distinction. No one is permitted to wear such an ornament unless the' Bear had 

 fallen under his hand ; consequently, the value of the decoration is almost incalculable. 

 So largely is this mark of distinction prized, that the Indian who has achieved such dignity 

 can hardly be induced to part with his valued ornament by any remuneration that can be 

 offered. 



Mr. Palliser, who was fortunate enough to kill five of these terrible creatures, without 

 suffering from their teeth or claws, bears ample testimony to the fury with which they make 

 their assaults, and the need of a cool determination in the hunter who matches himself against 

 such a foe. Just as the Bear approaches within a few yards of its adversary, it sits up on its 

 hind legs for a moment, and then rushes forward with almost inconceivable velocity. But the 

 moment when the Bear remains quiescent affords sufficient time for a determined hunter to 

 take a steady aim, and to lodge a bullet in the heart or brain of the savage foe. 



When the hunter is sufficiently confident in his powers of nerve to match himself against 

 the Bear, he can generally come upon his game by searching among the lower lying grounds, 

 which are filled with rugged timber and scrub fruit-trees. 



It is generally supposed that the Grizzly Bear is unable to ascend trees, but it is now 

 ascertained that the animal is quite an adept in tree-climbing, and makes use of the scandent 

 art for the purpose of supplying itself with a bountiful and leisurely repast. As the Bear is 

 very fond of acorns, and does not choose to gather them separately from the branches on which 

 they grow, it ascends the trees, and with its powerful fore-limbs administers such severe blows 

 and shakings to the boughs that the ripe acorns shower down like hail to the earth, whither 

 the ingenious animal speedily descends in order to reap the benefit of its exertions. Yet it is 

 frequently found that a man who has been chased by a Grizzly Bear has succeeded in saving 

 his life by ascending a tree which the Bear has made repeated but ineffectual efforts to climb. 

 The two accounts may be reconciled by the supposition that while the Bear is young, and com- 

 paratively agile in proportion to its weight, it is capable of ascending a perpendicular tree- 

 trunk ; but that when it becomes large and unwieldy, its limbs are not sufficiently powerful to 

 raise so great a weight from the earth by so slight a hold as that which is afforded by the claws 

 as they affix themselves to the rough bark. 



The color of the Grizzly Bear is extremely variable, so much so, indeed, that some zoolo- 

 gists have suggested the existence of two distinct species. Sometimes the color of the fur is a 

 dullish brown, plentifully flecked with grizzled hairs, and in other specimens the entire fur ia 

 of a beautiful steely gray. In every case, however these grizzled hairs are very conspicuous, 

 so that there appears to be a certain tendency to whiteness in the surface of the fur. From 

 this peculiarity, the specific title of "candescens," or whitish, has been affixed to the Grizzly 

 Bear by Major Smith, and the creature has, in one or two hunters' narratives, been erroneously 

 described as the White Bear. 



The Grizzly Bear ( Ursus Jiorribilis\ orferox, as it has been called, is met with nearest east 

 in the Missouri River region, above Fort Pierre, and is abundant on the Yellowstone. Along 

 the Rocky Mountains and towards Mexico it finds its natural habitat. A variety having slight 

 differences in color is found in Sonora, and the copper regions of New Mexico. 



Mr. Bell, our venerable taxidermist, accompanied Audubon in his tour over the Rocky 

 Mountain country. They encountered a Grizzly Bear on several occasions, when the creature 

 quickly turned and tried to escape. These and other similar instances caused Mr. Audubon 

 to believe that the Grizzly does not voluntarily attack man. Instances of savage encounter are 

 always preceded by great provocation. 



