120 CABNIVORA FISSIPEDIO. 



When full grown, the American Black Bear will stand 

 about three feet high and weigh fully 600 pounds. It feeds 

 on frogs, fish, turtles, the smaller rodents, insects, honey, 

 berries, roots and vegetables, with a decided preference 

 for a frugiverous diet; but some writers claim that it is 

 gradually growing more carnivorous and bolder, and cite 

 in proof of this contention a growing disposition to raid 

 barn yards and slay and eat poultry, sheep, pigs and 

 even calves. The Black Bear is an excellent swimmer 

 and a good climber, but cannot go up into the tree tops, 

 or out upon the branches, because of its weight. 



The Black Bear hibernates regularly in winter; but 

 the male remains active as long as he can find an abund- 

 ance of food, while the female always seeks shelter as soon 

 as cold weather comes in a den excavated under the 

 root of a fallen tree, or beneath a pile of logs, with a few 

 bushes and leaves scooped together for a bed. Some- 

 times the den is a great hole dug into the side of a knoll. 

 The young, who are usually born in January or February, 

 number from two to four to a litter. If the indications 

 point to a severe winter and there is a scarcity of food 

 these animals will take great pains to make a comfort- 

 able nest; but when the weather permits them to stay 

 out late they do not fix up their dens at all; but simply 

 crawl into any convenient shelter, letting the snow com- 

 plete a covering which forms into an icy wall as their 

 breath condenses and freezes into it, increasing in thick- 

 ness and extent day by day until they could not escape 

 from their icy cell, even if they would, before they are 

 liberated by the sun, in April or May. 



The Himalayan Black Bear, with its pure white chin, 

 long side whiskers, and large ears, is unquestionably the 

 handsomest representative of the Bear Family. The 

 Malay Sun Bear is the smallest, ugliest and most ill tem- 

 pered of the lot, but in size the Japanese Black Bear 

 approaches it closely. 



Among the peculiar species we find the Spectacled 

 Bears of South America, which are distinguished by their 

 very glossy jet-black coats, small ears, long feet and the 

 imperfect circles of white around their eyes. 



