STEEP TRAILS 



way, with but little troublesome discrimina- 

 tion. Sugar and honey they seem to like best 

 of all, and they seek far to find the sweets; but 

 when hard pushed by hunger they make out to 

 gnaw a living from the bark of trees and rot- 

 ten logs, and might almost live on clean lava 

 alone. 



Notwithstanding the California bears have 

 had as yet but little experience with honey- 

 bees, they sometimes succeed in reaching the 

 bountiful stores of these industrious gatherers 

 and enjoy the feast with majestic relish. But 

 most honey-bees in search of a home are wise 

 enough to make choice of a hollow in a living 

 tree far from the ground, whenever such can 

 be found. There they are pretty secure, for 

 though the smaller brown and black bears 

 climb well, they are unable to gnaw their way 

 into strong hives, while compelled to exert 

 themselves to keep from falling and at the 

 same time endure the stings of the bees about 

 the nose and eyes, without having their paws 

 free to brush them off. But woe to the unfor- 

 tunates who dwell in some prostrate trunk, 

 and to the black bumble-bees discovered in 

 their mossy, mouselike nests in the ground. 

 With powerful teeth and claws these are speed- 

 ily laid bare, and almost before time is given 

 for a general buzz the bees, old and young, 



40 



