FOOD AND FEEDING 



The Black Bear is described as omnivorous. Liter- 

 ally, that means that he eats everything; and this 

 comes pretty near to being literally true, for he has 

 democratic tastes, a magnificent appetite, and nothing 

 much to do between meals. Technically, however, the 

 term means that the Black Bear is both carnivorous 

 and herbivorous; that he eats flesh like a wolf, grass 

 like an ox, fish like an otter, carrion like a coyote, 

 bugs like a hen, and berries like a bird. In short he 

 eats pretty much everything he can get, and pretty 

 generally all he can get of it. 



One would naturally imagine that so thorough-going 

 a feeder would emerge from his long and complete 

 winter fast ravenously hungry and ready to fall tooth 

 and claw upon a hearty breakfast. But this is not so. 

 Indeed, when we stop to think of it, we can see that 

 even a bear's cast-iron constitution and digestive appa- 

 ratus would hardly stand such treatment. I have ex- 

 amined the stomach and intestines of a bear killed just 

 as it came out in the spring, and not only found them 

 utterly empty, but flattened with disuse. These organs 



have, therefore, to be treated with consideration and 



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