BEAR FAMILY 



lOI 



nicnt. (lathering the badly frightened boy into 

 position, the Bear set him whirling. His cloth- 

 ing from his shoe tops to his knees was soon 

 ripped to shreds and his legs torn and bleeding; 

 his scalp was lacerated by the sharp claws until 

 the blood flowed ; his cries arose to shrieks ; but 

 the Bear, unmoved, kept up the perfect rhythm 

 of his strokes. Finally the terrified onlookers 

 realizing that something must be done, tore a rail 

 from the fence and with a few pokes in Ben's 



the desire of obtaining food. During the spring 

 months it searches for food in the low alluvial 

 lands that border the rivers, or the margins of 

 the inland lakes. There it procures abun- 

 dance of succulent roots, and of the tender, juicy 

 stems of plants, upon which it chiefly feeds at 

 that season. During the summer heat it enters 

 the gloomy swamps, and passes much of its time 

 in wallowing in the mud like a hog ; it seizes a 

 young pig, or perhaps a sow or calf. As soon as 



By ptrmissiuii of the New Yurk Zoological Society 



BLACK BEAR 



The Black Bear was the species first encountered by the 

 early settlers on the Atlantic side of America. The Grizzly 

 belongs to the Rocky Mountain region 



side induced him to drop the boy. ... So square 

 and true had Ben juggled him that not a scratch 

 was found on his face or any part of his body 

 between the top of his head and his knees. He 

 eventually came out of the hospital no worse 

 for his ordeal, but I doubt if he ever again 

 undertook to ride a Bear." 



The early backwoodsmen found the Black 

 Bear a troublesome neighbor. It liked Indian 

 corn, and was not averse to a young pig. " Like 

 the Deer," says Audubon, " it changes its haunts 

 with the seasons, and for the same reason, viz.. 



the different kinds of berries ripen, the Bear be- 

 takes itself to the high ground ; next visits the 

 maize fields, which it ravages for a while. After 

 this the various kinds of nuts and grapes, 

 acorns and other forest fruits, attract its atten- 

 tion. The Black Bear is then seen wandering 

 through the woods to gather this harvest, not 

 forgetting to rob every tree which it comes 

 across." 



According to Dr. Merriam, the food of the 

 Black Bear " consists not only of mice and other 

 small mammals, turtles, frogs, and fish, but 



