THE ADIRONDACK BLACK BEAR. 245 



cunningly by man for his undoing. Some close observer of human nature says 

 " Cupid catches more with traps than he kills with arrows." I am not an expert on 

 this subject ; but to the bear I am sure the trap is more fatal than the rifle. 



During the summer and fall they cat enormously and take on a great deal of fat; 

 and when the cold weather comes they crawl into holes or caves, roll themselves up 

 and lie dormant until the warm winds of spring carry away the snows. Durincr this 

 time a curious phenomenon takes place in the animal's digestive organs, which gives 

 it the capacity of remaining through the entire winter in a state of lethargy without 

 food while slowly consuming the surplus fat acquired in the autumn. As the 

 stomach is no longer supplied with food it soon becomes quite empty, and, together 

 with the intestines, is contracted into a very small space. No food can now pass 

 through the system, for a mechanical obstruction, technically called the " tappen," 

 blocks up the passage and remains in its position all winter. The " tappen " is com- 

 posed of leaves and other woody substances. This habit of hibernation is a great 

 protection, for if the bear roamed around all winter he would be easily tracked and 

 overtaken in the deep snows; but once in his den, which is usually in some almost 

 inaccessible mountain, it is nearly impossible to find him, and the drifting snows 

 soon cover the entrance to his hiding place. 



Like our National Weather Bureau, the bear sometimes makes a mistake about 

 the storms; and occasionally snow falls before he retires for the winter, in which 

 event he usually begins at once to hunt his hole. This is unfortunate for him; for 

 whenever an early snow comes every bear hunter takes his rifle and tramps through 

 the rough mountains looking for tracks, which if he finds he follows to the den 

 where there is frequently a family of mother and cubs which, in their semi-torpid 

 condition, are easily killed. 



The early snows and the large steel traps are the means of getting most of the 

 bears killed in the Adirondacks. Occasionally a bear passing a runway where a man 

 is watching for a deer gets killed. Sometimes a man comes upon one while "still- 

 hunting," and gets near enough for a successful shot ; but instances of this kind are 

 rare. 



The bear is an omnivorous eater. I have seen his marks along streams where he 

 had been looking for fish. He is known to rob bees' nests for honey; but in the 

 summer and fall he lives largely upon berries and fruits of forest trees, — acorns and 

 beechnuts, — and when wild cherries are ripe one frequently finds small trees and 

 limbs he has broken down for the fruit. He has a great liking for ants, and in 

 places where he is common, many of the half rotten stumps and old logs have been 

 pulled apart by him while looking for ants and their eggs. This work can be easily 



