Blackbear 1081 



In many of the northern lakes a new food supply is added 

 in the myriads of Mayflies that are drowned and washed up on 

 the beach. About Shoal Lake, Man., the residents assured me 

 that in some seasons the shores of the lake are covered with a 

 pile of dead Mayflies 6 feet wide, 6 inches high at the highest 

 point, and about 20 miles long. 



E. A. Preble, in his notes on the Blackbear in Keewatin, 

 writes :" 



"One was seen near Robinson Portage by Mr. W. C. 

 King, who passed this point a day or two ahead of us on his 

 way towards York Factory. This Bear was feeding on the 

 piles of Mayflies {Ephemeridce) which perish in myriads and 

 are washed up on the shores in long windrows. These are said 

 to constitute a favourite food of the Bear." 



Hearne says^^ of the Blackbears he killed between York 

 Fort and Cumberland House: "Their flesh was abominable. 

 This was in the month of June, long before any fruit was ripe, 

 for the want of which they then fed entirely on water-insects, 

 which in some of the lakes we crossed that day were in aston- 

 ishing multitudes. [Foot-note says, 'lying in putrid masses to 

 the depth of 2 or 3 feet.'] 



"The method by which the Bears catch these insects is 

 by swimming with their mouths open, in the same manner as 

 the whales do when feeding on the sea-spider. There was not 

 one of the Bears killed that day which had not its stomach as 

 full of these insects (only) as ever a hog's was with grains, and 

 when cut open the stench from them was intolerable." 



An abundant spring food-root in much of the Bear's range 

 is the arum, and, so far as other vegetarians are concerned, it is 

 probable that the Bear is welcome to every root of the kind it 

 can find in the woods. I know of no other creature that can 

 stand its pungent terrors. 



Audubon and Bachman comment thus on the habit:" 



"Perhaps the most acrid vegetable eaten by the Bear is 

 the Indian turnip {Arum trtphyllum), which is so pungent that 



" N. A. Fauna, No. 22, 1902, p. 64. " Journey, 1795, p. 370. 



" Quad. N. A., 1849, Vol. Ill, p. 190. 



