74 CAMP-FIRES OF A NATURALIST. 



difference. The colour of black or brown bears is 

 more uniform through out, while the colour of the griz- 

 zly is variegated. The grizzly also has a more dis- 

 tinct mane, which stands up between the shoulders, 

 sometimes reaching a length of five or six inches. 

 The feet of the grizzly are always broad and thick as 

 compared with those of the black bear." 



" How large are bears when they are born?" 



"About the size of Norway rats. The old bear 

 generally has twins and sometimes triplets. An 

 Indian gave me some young ones which he said were 

 about two weeks old. They were about the size of 

 Newfoundland puppies." 



" Do bears hibernate?" asked Brown. 



" Yes, after a fashion. Not in the ordinary sense 

 of the word. They do not get torpid. They usually 

 'den up' in the colder parts of the winter. These 

 dens are simply nests of leaves and grass under the 

 roots of some overturned tree. Here the bear stays 

 until the weather gets warm, unless he is disturbed, 

 and then he is 'up and coming.' ' 



" Do bears voluntarily attack people?" asked Clare. 



" If you suddenly came upon an old female with 

 cubs she would probably show fight just as a cow 

 moose, an old sow, or any domestic animal would. A 

 wounded bear will also fight just the same as any 

 other wounded animal." 



" You don't mean to say that all those stories about 

 bears attacking people are false, do you?" asked 

 Brown. 



" Most of them are undoubtedly so. Bears are the 

 most cunning animals in the mountains. I have 



