252 



THE BEASTS OF PREY 



on every journey. This animal had struck up a 

 queer friendship with a little Antelope which was its 

 traveling companion, and defended it in the most 

 gallant way on one occasion. When the Antelope 

 was being, led through the streets on its way from 

 the ship, a huge Mastiff pounced on it and seized it 

 in spite of the shouts and the blows which the 

 keeper administered to him with his stick. Fortu- 

 nately Palliser and his Bear had taken the same 

 road, and when the latter saw what was going on, he 

 tore himself loose ; in another instant he had seized 

 his friend's foe by the neck and administered such 

 a castigation to him that he ran away with a piteous 

 howl. 



Captive Grizzlies do not differ materially from the 

 European Bears in their customs. In the London 

 Zoological Garden there were two, which once 

 played an important part from a medical point of 

 view. In their youth they suffered from a severe 

 inflammation of the eyes, as a result of which they 

 became blind. It was decided to cure them. The 

 patients were separated, and the keepers put a 

 strong collar on each, and pulled the head of the 

 gigantic Bear close to the iron bars with ropes so 

 that the sponge saturated with chloroform could be 

 held to his nostrils with safety. The effect was dis- 

 proportionately rapid and sure. After a very few 

 minutes the huge animal lay like one dead in its 

 cage, deprived of consciousness and movement, and 

 the oculist could enter safely, put the terrible head 

 in position and do his work. Just as the cage had 

 been darkened, the animal awoke, staggered to and 

 fro as if intoxicated, and seemed to become still 

 more unsteady as its consciousness returned. In 

 time it appeared to realize what had happened to 

 it during its death-like sleep, and when it was ex- 

 amined a few days after, it had become conscious of 

 its regained power of sight and appeared to rejoice 

 in the light of day, or at least to know the contrast 

 between the former perennial night and the actual 

 brightness of the sunlight. 



t, „. „ The Cinnamon Bear ( Ursus cinnamoneus) 



The Cinnamon Bear js by some C( , ns „ 1 , ri .,, „ a , llstmct ,,„. 



°* u . . " cies, and bv others as being only a variety 

 mountains. q{ the B) ^ ck g ear whUe other .„„„,„.[. 



ties class it as a variety of the Grizzly Bear. It is found in 

 the Rocky Mountain region and a portion of the Sierra Neva- 

 das, occupying a part of its range in common with the Grizzly 

 and the Black Bear, but is much more numerous than either of 

 these species in southern Utah, Arizona and northern Mexico. 

 It inhabits the mountains principally, although sometimes de- 

 scending int" the valley, and is much more formidable than 

 the Black Bear, though hunters and frontiersmen do not regard 

 it as being so dangerous an antagonist as the Grizzly Bear. 

 The name " Cinnamon" Bear accurately describes the color of 

 its fur, which is nearly of a uniform shade all over the animal, 

 although the hairs are much paler at the roots than at the tip. 

 The Musquaw The best-known American Bear, the 

 or American Musquaw or Black Bear ( Urstts amer- 

 Black Bear. icanus) is a widely spread and com- 

 paratively good-natured animal; at least it is much 

 more harmless than the Grizzly or the Brown Bear. 

 Its length is at the most six feet, its height at the 

 shoulder a little over three feet. It differs from the 

 lirown Hear mainly by its narrower head, its more 

 pointed snout, very short soles and in the texture 

 and color of its fur, which consists of long, wiry, 

 smooth hair, which is shorter only on the forehead 

 and around the snout. The hue is a brilliant black, 

 merging into yellow on both sides of the snout; and 

 a patch of the latter color is also often found in 

 front of the eyes. More rarely Black Bears are seen 

 whose lips have white margins, and which have 

 white stripes on the breast and the top of the head. 



The Cubs, which at first are light gray, assume the 

 darker hue of their parents at the beginning of the 

 second year, but it is much later before their hair 

 grows long. 



Differences of color have led many hunters and others to 

 distinguish other species of Bears. There is, for instance, a 

 Yellow Bear in North and South Carolina, the color of which is 

 yellowish-brown. But this difference of hue is the only one 

 that separates it from the ordinary Black Bear, of which it is 

 merely a variety. 



The Black The Musquaw spreads all over North 



Bear's Home and America. He has been found in all 

 Haunts. wooded districts, from the eastern 

 coast to the Californian boundary, and from high 

 latitudes to Mexico. The forest provides for all 

 his wants ; but he shifts his quarters from one 

 locality to another, according to the season and its 

 different products. During spring he is wont to 

 look for his food in the fertile river valleys, and 

 therefore he prowls in the thickets edging the banks 

 of streams and lakes. In summer he retreats into 

 the depths of forests rich in all kinds of fruit ; but 

 in winter he seeks out a suitable den in some 

 secluded place, and either sleeps or really hibernates 

 in it. Opinions differ in regard to his hibernation. 

 Some writers hold that only a few of these Bears 

 hide in their den for weeks and sleep, while the 

 majority of them roam from one place to another in 

 winter as at other seasons, or even migrate from 

 northern regions to more southern ones. Other 

 observers believe that this happens only in mild 

 winters, and that in those that are more severe all 

 Black Bears hibernate. It is a fact that it is most 

 frequently in winter that people sally forth on Bear 

 hunts and find the animal in its den. 



Characteristics Notwithstanding his stupid, clumsy and 

 of the Black unwieldy appearance, the Black Bear 

 Bear. ls a watchful, active, vigorous and agile 

 animal of great endurance. He can run so swiftly 

 that a Man cannot overtake him; he is an excellent 

 swimmer and an adept at climbing. At any rate he 

 is more agile than the European Brown Bear which, 

 in other respects, he resembles. He attacks Man 

 very rarely, seeking safety in flight as soon as he 

 catches sight of this his worst foe, and does not even 

 always turn on him when wounded, though he may 

 become dangerous when hemmed in by his enemies. 

 His principal food is of a vegetable nature, con- 

 sisting chiefly of herbs, leaves, half-ripe and ripe 

 grains, berries and fruit of the most varied kinds. 

 But he also makes inroads on the live stock of the 

 farmers and, like Brown Bruin, even dares to attack 

 large Cattle. He is always in the way of the farmer, 

 either by damaging the crops or molesting the 

 flocks, and therefore he fares like the Brown Bear: 

 he is pursued and exterminated whenever he shows 

 himself near human habitations. 



Methods of Hunt- The Black Bear is hunted by vari- 

 ing the Black ous methods. Many are caught 

 Bear. j n large traps, but more are killed 



with bullets. Good Dogs are of inestimable service 

 in rousing the Bear or driving him into a tree, there- 

 by giving the sportsman the opportunity to take 

 .1 good, steady aim and send his bullet to the right 

 spot. 



Some kinds of hunting practiced by the Indians 

 are very peculiar, and still more so are the solemn 

 ceremonies they go through in order to appease 

 the manes of the deceased Bear, the performance 

 partaking somewhat of the character of worship. 

 Alexander Henry, who traveled in the part of the 

 country where fur-producing animals are most 



