258 TRUE BEAR STORIES. 



the "tappen" blocks the er trance to the 

 passage and remains in this position until 

 spring. The "tappen" is composed almost 

 entirely of pine leaves and the various sub 

 stances which the bear scratches out of the 

 ants' nests or the hives of bees. During 

 the season of hibernation, the bear gains a 

 new skin on its feet. It will remain in its 

 den until about the middle of April or the 

 beginning of May, and will emerge almost 

 as fat as when it entered, unless it has lost 

 the "tappen" too soon. 



It will now be seen that the fur has un 

 dergone a change. With the grizzly it has 

 the real grizzly hue; with the brown or 

 black bear it has a dead look. This is the 

 hungry season for the bear, and until fall, 

 when the berries are ripe and the salmon 

 run in the streams, his bearship has a hard 

 time of it. By the end of July and until the 

 middle of August the fur undergoes a fur 

 ther change. The old coat is hanging upon 

 him in shreds, he is much emaciated, and 

 there is a hungry look in his eye. His ears 



