1070 Life-histories of Northern Animals 



larking. Occasionally they would have a regular sparring 

 bout, standing erect, feinting, countering, and making use of 

 many of the tricks of old votaries of the prize-ring. These 

 frolics would generally end in a clinch fall, and a regular rough- 

 and-tumble fight, when the mother would abruptly put a stop to 

 it by suddenly knocking both of the contestants completely out 

 of time. In fact, as they grew apace, the parental visitations in- 

 creased so rapidly I began to fear she would put an end to my 

 Bear investigations by chastising the lives out of them, but of 

 late she has slackened in her attentions, and I am in hopes 

 of following the growth of Ursus americanus from babyhood 

 to adolescence." 



This determination to bring the young up right, no matter 

 how much spanking is needed, is common to most mother 

 Bears, but is very variable individually. I have known an old 

 Bear to punish her young one severely merely because she, 

 herself, had at that time lost her head in a sudden alarm and 

 behaved foolishly. We look not in vain among our own kind 

 for parallel cases. 



When spring comes with force, in the woods it melts the 

 ice and frees the icebound mother Bear. If the weather is at 

 all settled, and the ground partly clear of snow, she sets forth 

 on her travels in search of food, the little ones stringing behind 

 her like a lot of little pigs. And now they say good-by to the 

 old den. Thenceforth the mother sleeps where and whenso- 

 ever she is sleepy — and the little ones slumber cuddled in her 

 arms, and more or less beneath her body. 



The old Bear usually comes out fat in the spring, but the 

 scarcity of food and the drain of the thriving young family soon 

 reduce her stored-up supplies. And a May Bear is always a 

 lean Bear. 



The cubs learn to eat solid food as soon as the bare ground 

 makes it obtainable. 



The mother's care of them and their faith in her at this 

 time are ideal, and all pictures of it that have been put on record 

 have a human character that is sometimes exceedingly touching. 



