96 NEIGHBORS WITH CLAWS AND HOOFS. 



He is not carnivorous by nature, but in the absence of 

 vegetable diet will eat mutton and young pork with evi- 

 dent relish. He will tear the bark from rotten or decayed 

 logs in search of snails, grubs, and worms, which he eats 

 with avidity. He destroys wasps' and humble-bees' nests ; 

 will demolish ant-hills, simply for the small amount of 

 sustenance contained in their eggs ; but his natural food is 

 esculent roots and nuts of all kinds, blackberries, whortle- 

 berries, black cherries, and wild fruits of all kinds ; also 

 green corn in the milk." 



8. The brown bear is found all over Europe and Asia. 

 It is somewhat larger than the black bear of America, but 

 in character and disposition they are much alike. The 

 natural diet of the brown bear consists of vegetable sub- 

 stances, honey, and the larvae of ants ; but, having once 

 tasted pork, he generally hangs around the farm yard until 

 he falls a victim to the wrath of the farmer. Like his 

 American cousin, he is easily tamed, but becomes danger- 

 ous if given his liberty after he has attained his full 

 growth. Both the black and the brown bear hibernate 

 in the North, but not in the South. The following story, 

 of a tame bear in Sweden, gives a very good idea of the 

 character of this brown Bruin : 



9. " The cub was captured in its den when about three 

 weeks old. Being fed with warm milk, young Bruin 

 throve satisfactorily, and, when large enough to enjoy 

 liberty, he usually stayed in the yard with the bear-dog 

 " Jeppe," playing and springing about his companion like 

 a cat. He was also much attached to his master, delight- 

 ing to accompany him not only to the forest, where he 

 often clambered up trees, but also into the house, where 

 removing chairs and tables from one room into another 

 appeared to be his favorite occupation. Strangers always 

 received his attentions ; but as these were somewhat 



