UKSUS AMERICAN US. jOI 



which I have myself seen, was also a hole dug^ into the side of a 

 knoll, and its presence was betra\ed by the youny who were plajiny; 

 outside and did not know enough to hide away at the approach of 

 man. In this case also the ok! Bear was unable to get out and was 

 easily killed. 



While hunting, June lo, 1S7S, Dr. C. L. Bagg and the writer fol- 

 lowed the old trail from k'ourth Lake across Eagle Creek in the di- 

 rection of John's Lake. In exploring a hardwood ridge a little to 

 the north of the regular course we were suddenly surprised by a loud 

 and peculiar cry with which we were both unaccjuainted. It came 

 from the direction of a dense balsam swamp lielow, and somewhat 

 resembled the squealing of a pig, while at the same time it suggested 

 the noise made by the Great Blue Heron when on its nesting grounds. 

 As the cr}' was repeated Dr. Bagg imitated it, and succeeded so well 

 that we soon perceived it to lie coming nearer. P'earing that it 

 might change its course I ran tlown the hill and soon saw a dark- 

 colored animal, about the size of a Raccoon, emerge from the swamp 

 and jump upon a log, rusliing headlong in the direction towards Dr. 

 Bagg, and squealing at brief intervals as if in great distress. Bring- 

 ing my gun (loaded onl\- with No. 4 shot) hastil)- to my shoulder I 

 fired, and the report was followed by a shriek of i)ain and a plaintive, 

 Ixibylike, sobbing cr_\- that lasted for nearl)' a minute. On reaching 

 the spot the animal was fountl to be a cub Bear, and was then (juite 

 dead, one of the shot having passed through both ventricles ot the 

 heart It was very thin, weighing but ten pounds (4536 grams), 

 and had evidently been lost from its mother for some time. Its 

 stomach contained nothing but beech-nuts, and beech-nuts that ha\e 

 lain on the ground all winter, and are still fit to eat in June, are cer- 

 tainly few and far between. 



In traversing unfrecjuented portions of the Wilderness one occa- 

 sionally meets with a tree whose bark has been scratched and torn, 

 at some little height from the ground, in a manner that cannot fail 

 to excite his attention and surprise. This is the work ot the Bear, 



