132 THE MINDS AND MANNERS 



thousand pounds of weight, and dash through the yawning 

 hole into his rival's arena. 



Then ensued a great battle. The two huge bears rose high 

 on their hind legs, fiercely struck out with their front paws, 

 and fought mouth to mouth, always aiming to grip the throat. 

 They bit each other's cheeks but no serious injuries were in- 

 flicted, and very soon by the vigorous use of pick-handles the 

 two bear keepers drove the fighters apart. 



Case 2. Ivan's Begging Scheme. Ivan came from Alaska 

 when a small cub and he has long been the star boarder at the 

 Bear Dens. He is the most good-natured bear that we have, 

 and he has many thoughts. Having observed the high arm 

 motion that a keeper makes in throwing loaves of bread over 

 the top of the nine-foot cage work, Ivan adopted that motion as 

 part of his sign language when food is in sight outside. He 

 stands up high, like a man, and with his left arm he motions, 

 just as the keepers do. Again and again he waves his mighty 

 arm, coaxingly, suggestively, and it says as plain as print: 

 "Come on! Throw it in! Throw it!" 



If there is too much delay in the response, he motions with 

 his right paw, also, both arms working together. It is irre- 

 sistible. At least 500 times has he thus appealed, and he will 

 do it whenever a loaf of bread is held up as the price of an exhi- 

 bition of his sign language. Of course Ivan thought this out 

 himself, and put it into practice for a very definite purpose. 



Case 3. Ivan's Invention for Cracking Beef Bones. 

 Ivan invented a scheme for cracking large beef bones, to get 

 at the ultimate morsels of marrow. He stands erect on his 

 hind feet, first holds the picked bone against his breast, then 

 with his right paw he poises it very carefully upon the back of his 

 left paw. When it is well balanced he flings it about ten feet 

 straight up into the air. When it falls upon the concrete floor 

 a sufficient number of times it breaks, and Ivan gets his well- 

 earned reward. This same plan was pursued by Billy, 

 another Alaskan brown bear. 



