ANIMALS OP NORTH AMERICA. 19 



Goulard, about a hundred miles north of New Orleans. For 

 several nights great depredations had been committed in a 

 large maize plantation some ten or twelve miles distant, sup- 

 posed to be the work of wild cattle, a few of which had been 

 seen in the neighboring swamps and cane-brake's. A party 

 was at once formed to stay the mischief. It was a lovely 

 cloudless night as we reached the plantation, the moon shining 

 out in all her splendor, and the rich perfume from a magnolia 

 swamp in the vicinity hung upon the breeze as it only can hang 

 in the South. After seeing the rifles all prepared, each mem- 

 ber of our party, in eager anticipation, arranged themselves 

 around the spot, preparing to surround the depredators after 

 they entered, and so make sure of them on their retreat. 

 Scarcely had we taken our positions, when a rustling among 

 and waving of the maize showed the approach of one or more 

 animals. Two shots were fired in quick succession by Major 

 H , followed by several others from different quarters, and 

 three fine black bears were measuring their length upon the 

 sward, whilst two others had escaped in the general confusion. 

 They were covered with fat ; and we learned afterwards that 

 several plantations higher up the Bayou had been entirely 

 laid waste, doubtless by the same marauders. 



THE GRIZZLY BEAR ( Ursus horribilis), grissly gray, grizzly 

 horrid, is the largest and most ferocious of its kind, as well 

 as the strongest and most formidable animal of this continent. 

 The name was given to it by Mackenzie, in 1801 ; nothing 

 satisfactory was known of it till the exploring party of Lewis 

 and Clark in Oregon in 1805 met with it frequently, and left 

 it in the hands of Say to describe scientifically. The descrip- 

 tion of it given in the Jardin des Plantes, in Paris, states 

 that " it combines the ferocity of the jaguar with the courage 

 of the tiger and the strength of the lion." 



This bear is no less capable than the other species of sub- 

 sisting on vegetables ; but the supposition of hunters, that it 

 is wholly carnivorous, is easily accounted for, seeing it shows 



