ANIMAL BEHAVIOR—WALKER 287 
On the other hand many animals, particularly mammals and most 
birds, give a great deal of care to the young and obviously give them 
definite instructions. The bears (Ursus and Huarctos) are well-known 
examples. When mother bear begins leaving the den in the spring, the 
young are left inside and are apparently told to remain there. They 
do not begin coming out for some time—until the mother feels that 
they have developed enough to need a slightly larger world. She 
first permits them to play close to the entrance to the den while she 
stands guard, and later, when they are stronger, she takes them with 
her on foraging expeditions, at which time she tears open decayed 
stumps and logs to expose ants, grubs, mice, and other delicacies. 
Likewise, she turns over stones for animal food that can be found under 
them, digs up roots, and leads the babies where acorns can be found. 
Mother bear is a strict disciplinarian and does not permit the young to 
stray faraway. If danger threatens and she feels that for any reason 
she cannot take the young to the den, she often sends them up a tree 
while she stays on the ground not far away. She is usually successful 
in her instructions to them to keep silent, although occasionally a baby 
will become so frightened that it will ery, which often results in its 
being soundly spanked and cuffed for its infraction of her rules. If 
she desires not to send them up a tree but decides to run away, she 
keeps them close to her, and if they are disposed to lag or become 
tired, she will sometimes cuff them along ahead of her, sometimes 
tumbling them end over end so that they will have an incentive to 
keep up with her. Throughout this entire time, when the young are 
with the mother, observers have seen that it is definitely a training 
period in which the mother shows the young where and how to obtain 
food, what sounds and smells to avoid, and what are apparently safe 
in their haunts. 
Apparently about the same procedure is followed among the foxes 
(Vulpes), wolves and wild dogs (Canis), and wildcats (Felis), for the 
mother leaves the little ones in the den until they are able to begin 
playing about the entrance, where she finally permits them to sun 
themselves and romp and engage in tussles with brothers and sisters, 
gaining strength and agility. She brings them food, over which they 
struggle, and finally she brings live food so that they have the actual 
experience of handling live prey. Among the foxes and wolves, the 
father often participates in bringing food, and both mother and father 
stand guard near the entrance to give the alarm for the young to take 
refuge inside when danger threatens. Usually a short bark or two is 
sufficient to warn the little ones to take shelter. When they are old 
enough and strong enough to venture farther away from the den, the 
mother takes them on hunting expeditions on which they learn to 
catch small prey that is within their strength. On these expeditions 
