NOTES ON THE GRIZZLY BEAR 173 



grizzly at the various seasons of the year. To this all 

 the old grizzly hunters — Charlie Smith, Mr. Phillips, 

 and the two Norboes, — contributed; and I pieced to- 

 gether their individual statements, and made up this 



GRIZZLY bear's CALENDAR 



January. — About January 20th the cubs are born, in 

 the v^inter den. Usually they are two in number, crudely 

 formed, and almost hairless. They are about ten inches 

 long, weigh about eighteen ounces, and are blind, and 

 extremely helpless. The mother coils herself around 

 them, moves not for many days, and the helpless little 

 creatures are almost as much enfolded as if they were 

 in an abdominal pouch. In the New York Zoological 

 Park the period of gestation of the Colorado grizzly is 

 two hundred and sixty-six days, or from April 22d to 

 January 13th. 



May. — In British Columbia a few grizzlies come out 

 as early as May i, but the majority appear about the 

 20th. Their first spring food is the roots of the snow- 

 lily, which is found growing on the snow slides. Be- 

 sides this the grizzly eats other plants, of a dozen or 

 more species, and also grass that is young and tender. 



As soon as they emerge from their winter den they 

 begin to rub their backs against trees, to scratch them- 

 selves, and they keep it up until the old hair is all off. 

 Shedding begins early in June, and lasts until August i. 



June and July. — During these months the bears range 

 far and wide, the cubs following at the heels of the 

 mother, searching for edible grubs and roots. In their 



