92 



MAMMALS OF AMERICA 



ounces each, and measured nine inches from 

 nose to tail. The dam and cubs leave their den 

 from one to three weeks after the male has left 

 his winter quarters. A curious and unexplained 

 habit of some Grizzlies at this time is that of 

 scoring trees with their teeth ; sometimes they 

 will bite out considerable pieces from the trunks. 

 Of the nature and disposition of the Grizzly 

 Bear something has been said above. In esti- 



«:i.«tt!f^O.-i.^i^.^ 



Photograph by C. J, Hawkins 



BLACK BEAR CUB 

 Out on a foraging expedition 



mating the conflicting accounts that have been 

 printed, it is obvious that the experience and 

 opinions of those who have hunted the animal 

 and studied it at close range are most to be 

 relied upon. Dr. Rainsford considers that the 

 increase in the power of the rifle, and " the 

 pressure of civilization felt more and more in 

 the wildest parts of the land " have brought 

 about a change in the habits of the Grizzly, and 

 that " the danger of his attack, in the present 

 day, has been grossly exaggerated." He ac- 

 counts for many of the stories of " charging " 

 Grizzlies by the fact that " when fired at, 



reared from cubhood, 

 " Ben Franklin," the 



whether wounded or not, he will almost in- 

 variably turn downhill and try to get away, and 

 in doing so, often nearly tumbles over his 

 antagonist, who fancies the Bear is charging at 

 him, when his sole intention is to get away as 

 soon as possible." Mr. Wright has " never 

 known of a single instance where one of these 

 Bears turned out of his way. unprovoked, to 

 attack a human being." 



In captivity, the Grizzly Bear responds to fair 

 treatment better than any other well-armed 

 animal does ; it generally reaches full maturity 

 between the ages of six and seven years. In 

 1909, in the Cenetral Park Menagerie, New 

 York, a Grizzly was chloroformed which was 

 more than twenty-five years old. That the Griz- 

 zly can be tamed, if taken young, has been 

 abundantly proved. James Capen Adams 

 ("Grizzly Adams") had two which he had 

 " Lady Washington " and 

 former of which used to 

 carry his blankets, etc., and sleep near him, and 

 the other saved his master's life when attacked 

 by a wild Grizzly. 



Early settlers have testified that this Bear 

 often caches its food. On a ranch near the 

 upper waters of the Colorado River, several 

 years ago, some colts were seized by Grizzly 

 Bears. One of them was found buried accord- 

 ing to the custom of this Bear, and the owner 

 sat tij) to shoot the animal. Having only the old- 

 fashioned small-bored rifle of the day, excellent 

 for shooting Deer, but useless against so massive 

 a beast as this Bear, unless hit in the head or 

 heart, he only wounded it. The Bear rushed in, 

 struck him a blow of its paw, smashed the rifle 

 which he held up as a protection, and struck the 

 barrel on to his head. The man fell insensible, 

 when the Bear, having satisfied himself that he 

 was dead, picked him up, carried him off, and 

 buried him in another hole which it scratched 

 near the dead colt. It then dug up the colt and 

 ate part of it, and went off. Some time later 

 the man came to his senses, and awoke to find 

 himself " dead and buried." As the earth was 

 only roughly thrown over him, he scrambled out, 

 and saw close by the half-eaten remains of the 

 colt. Thinking that it might he about the bear's 

 dinner time, and remembering that he was prob- 

 ably in the larder for the next meal, he decided 

 that he had an urgent engagement elsewhere. 



