106 The Grizzly Bear, — Ursus Fcrox, 



the United States, if we may be allowed to form any inference from tradi- 

 tions existing among the Delaware Indians, relative to the Big Naked Bear 

 which formerly existed on the banks of the Hudson, The venerable Hecke- 

 WELDER informs us that Indian mothers used to frisrhten their children into 

 quietness by speaking to them of this animal. 



" Two cubs of the grizzly bear were sometime smce kept alive in the 

 raenagery of Pe ale's (now the Philadelphia) Museum. "Wlien first received 

 they were quite small, but speedily gave indications of that ferocity for which 

 this species is so remarkable. As they increased in size they became exceed- 

 ingly dangerous, seizing and tearing to pieces every animal they could lay 

 hold of, and exi^ressing extreme eagerness to get at those accidentally brought 

 within sight of their cage, by grasping the iron bars with their paws and 

 shaking them violently, to the great terror of spectators, who felt insecure 

 while v/ituessiug such displays of their strength. In one instance an unfortu- 

 nate monkey was walking over the top of the cage, when the end of the chain 

 which hung from his waist dropped through within reach of the bears ; they 

 immediately seized it, dragged the screaming animal through the narrow 

 aperture, tore him timb from limb, and devoured his mangled carcass almost 

 instantaneously. At another time a small monkey thrust his arm through 

 an opening in the bear's cage to reach after some object ; one of them'imme- 

 diately seized him, and, with a sudden jerk, tore the whole arm and shoulder 

 blade from the body, and devom-ed it before any one could interfere. They 

 were still cubs, and very little more than half grown, when theu* ferocity 

 became so alarming as to excite continual apprehension lest they sUould 

 escape, and they were killed in order to prevent such an event. 



*' The grizzly bear is remarkably tenacious of life, and on many occasions 

 numerous rifle-balls have been fired into the body of an individual without 

 much apparent injury. Instances are related by the travellers who have 

 explored the countries in the vicinity of the Rocky Mountains, of from ten 

 to fourteen balls having been discharged into the body of one of these bears 

 before it expired. In confirmation of these statements we shall here intro- 

 duce some sketches from narratives given in the jom-nals of Lewis and Clark, 

 and Long's Expedition to the Eock Mountains. 



" One evening the men in the hindmost of one of Lewis and Clark's canoes 

 perceived one of these bears lying in the open ground about three hundred 

 paces from the river, and six of them, who were all good hunters, went to 

 attack him. Concealing themselves by a small eminence, they were able to 

 approach within forty paces unperceived ; four of the hunters now fired, and 

 ftach lodged a ball in his body, two of which passed directly through his lungs. 

 The bear sprang up and ran furiously with open mouth upon them ; two of 

 the hunters, who had reserved their fire, gave him two additional wounds, 

 and one breaking his shoulder-blade, somewhat retarded his motions. Before 

 they could again load their guns, he came so close on them, that they were 

 obliged to run towards the river, and before they had gained it the bear had 

 almost overtaken them. Two men jumped into the canoe ; and the other 

 four separated, and concealbg themselves among the willows, fired as fast as 



