The Black Bear, — Ursus Americanus. 101 



The Black Bear has very stout legs, a somewhat bulky but flexible 

 body, a long head, slightly arched from the nose over the forehead, small 

 eyes, and ears high, oval and rounded at the tips. The [soles of the feet 

 are short — the hairs of the feet project slightly beyond the claws, which 

 are short, blunt, and somewhat curved. The tail is very short, and the 

 fur is long, glossy, and soft. The general colour is black, but it sometimes 

 varies to brown or yellowish. One was killed on the Ottawa, three years 

 since, in 1853, which was light yellowish brown. The sides of the nose are 

 of a fawn colour, and there is sometimes a little white on the forehead and 

 throat. In some specimens a small spot of white above the eye. The 

 length of the animal is from four to six feet, and large ones, when fat, in 

 the autumn, weigh GOO pounds. 



The female brings forth two cubs in the winter, and in Canada the 

 birth takes place before the hybernating retreat is deserted. 



The food of the Bear is principally vegetable, consisting of roots, 

 grapes, berries, acorns, beech nuts, and occasionally a feast of green oats 

 or Indian corn. In the fields of the two latter in the months of Aug. and Sept. 

 it sometimes, in the newer settlements, commits very considerable destruction 

 not only by the quantity eaten, but by the injury the crop sustains from 

 being broken down and trampled in the earth. It is, however, fond of 

 flesh, and wifl carry off and devour hogs, and sometimes even attack horned 

 cattle. " It will also devour eggs, insects, and small quadrupeds and birds ; 

 but when it has abundance of its favorite vegetable food, will pass the 

 carcass of a deer without touching it." 



Although a clumsy looking animal, yet the bear can run with much 

 swiftness, and can travel great distances through the woods without rest. 

 Dekay, in the Natural History of New York, gives an account of a bear 

 which was pursued for eighteen days before it was finally killed. Although 

 seldom seen during the chase, yet he appeared to be perfectly well aware 

 that he was an object of pursuit, and when kiUed, the worn and lacerated 

 condition of his feet testified to his exertions to effect his escape. It climbs 

 with great facility, and when surprised in a corn field and pursued by dogs, 

 after running a short distance it seeks for protection by ascending to the 

 branches of a tree, where it remains until shot by the hunters. When the 

 beach nuts and acorns are plenty, the bear climbs the trees in search of this 

 favorite food. It then draws into its reach and breaks off large branches 

 with its powerful fore limbs, and sometimes leaves such a collection of those 

 broken boughs in one place in the top of the tree, that they resemble huge 

 birds' nests. We have seen in some of the beach ridges, as they are called, 

 twenty or thirty of those bears' nests in the trees within sight at once. 



When driven to extremities the bear will stand up on his hind legs and 

 raake a desperate battle, in the manner of a boxer. One stroke of his power- 

 ful paw will disable a dog, or knock a gun or axe from the hands of the 

 hunter. He fights with teeth, claws, and also by hugging his enemy to 

 death. The sight and hearing of the bear are both acute, but although the 

 animal evades the settled portions of the country and prefei-s the more solitary 



