324 CARMVORA. 



then its size and strength, its immense teeth and claws, its tenacity of 

 life and ferocious determination render it a terrible antagonist to the 

 bravest and coolest sportsmen. 



The Grizzly Bear varies in color ; some specimens are of a dull 

 brown, flecked with gray, while others are of a steely-gray ; but the 

 grizzled hairs are always conspicuous. The length of a full-grown male 

 is about eight feet and a half, and the girth the same, while the weight is 

 about eight hundred pounds. The fore-limbs are very powerful, the 

 feet measuring eighteen inches, and the claws five inches; these claws 

 are very sharp, and cut like chisels ; the head is large, the tail very shcrt 

 and quite hidden in the fur. The gait of the Grizzly is awkward and 

 roUing; when young it can climb trees; fortunately, however, as it in- 

 creases in size and weight, it loses this power, its claws being unable to 

 sustain its unwieldy buik. 



The Grizzly is the king of all our animals, and can destroy by blows 

 from his armed paws even the powerful bison of the plains ; wolves will 

 not even touch the carcass of this dreaded monster, and, it is said, stand 

 in such awe, that they refrain from molesting deer that he has slain. 

 Horses also require careful training before they can be taught to allow 

 ts hide to be placed on their backs. 



Terrible stories are told of encounters with Grizzlies. General Dodge 

 , dy^ one of the most complete wrecks of humanity he ever witnessed 

 M'SS a huntsman for a party of California miners. He suddenly, one day, 

 came face to face with a Grizzly ; the bear stood up on its hind-legs, the 

 man presented his rifle, and stood waiting the attack. The bear ad- 

 vanced, and took the muzzle of the rifle in its mouth, the man fired, and 

 before he had time to think was in the bear's clutches. " It was all over 

 in a second," the narrator stated; "/ didn't feci any pain, and I didn't 

 know nothing more till I come to next day." His companions found the 

 man and the bear together, the latter dead with a bullet in the brain ; 

 the man had received only one stroke from each paw. One fore-paw 

 had passed over the shoulder, and a claw had hooked under the shoulder- 

 blade and torn it out entirely ; the other fore-paw tore all the flesh from 

 the left-side ; a hind-claw had torn open the abdomen, letting out the 

 bowels, while the remaining hind-paw had torn away the muscle of the 

 right-leg fron. groin to knee. The man recovered, and when he 

 described the fight to the General, added, " Anybody can fight bear 

 that wants to : I've had enough grizzly." 



