URSUS AMERICANUS. go 



youn^ ones, lyin,L; asleep just hack of her front paws. P'rom wliere 

 I stood, about six feet distant, they did not seem to exceed six 

 inches in length, were a dirt)' whitish color, and appeared entirely 

 bare of hair. In about ten days tlieir coats began to show and were 

 of a grayish tint, which gradually passed through the various shades 

 until they became a brownish black. It was just forty days before 

 the first one's eyes opened, and two days after the second followed 

 suit. From that time forward I watched very closely to ascertain the 

 exact time that would ela|)se b^^fore the young ones would leave the 

 nest, and on the seventy-first day after birth, wlien the mother, as 

 was her habit, came to the grating to be fed, one of the youngsters 

 left the nest and followed her. So soon as she found it (Hit she im- 

 mediately drew it gently back, and on its second attempt, she cuffed 

 it soundly, which put a stop to its wandering propensity. After a 

 few days she allowed them to wander about at will provided no one 

 was immediately in front of the den; but so soon as a visitor put in 

 an appearance, they were driven back into the nest and not allowed 

 to emerge until the strangers were out of sight. For some time she 

 always suckled them in one position, lying over and completely cov- 

 ering them by stretching flat on her belly with her legs drawn up 

 under her and her head tucked down between her front paws. As 

 they grew older and began to run about she would sit on her 

 haunches, lazily lean back against the wall, take a cub on each fore 

 arm and hold them up to her breast until they were satisfied. They 

 soon became expert climbers, taking advantage of the slightest ine- 

 qualities of the stone walls and the cracks between the heavy oaken 

 planks to reach the ceiling of the den on three sides, whilst the 

 grating in front served capitally for their skylarking. Occasionally 

 they would have a regular sparring bout, standing erect, feinting, 

 countering, and making use of many of the tricks of old votaries of 

 the P. R. These frolics would generally end in a clinch, fall, and a 

 regular rough and tumble fight, when the mother would abruptly put 

 a stop to it, by suddenl)- knocking both of the contestants completely 



