MAMMALS. 669 



In their wild state the bears range through the woods in search of food. 

 They eat berries and beechnuts, acorns, roots, and the like, and even the 

 intensely acrid bulb of the Indian turnip. If a clearing is found, they will 

 eat oats, green corn, and pumpkins. Fish, too, has its charms for them, 

 but they are not especially fond of other meat. Sweets, however, are the 

 greatest luxuries, and honey and molasses will cause bruin to leave any 

 other food. The black bear makes a nest, in some secluded spot, of leaves 

 and bark, and to this it retires when its day's labor is over. In December 

 or January it enters this nest for its long sleep of three or four months. 

 It covers itself completely, the ears excepted, with the leaves, and rolled 

 up in a ball, with the paws crossed over the nose, it sinks into a deep 

 lethargic sleep. During all this long time it takes no food ; it does not 

 even suck its paws, as is often asserted. It merely sleeps, breathing slowty, 

 and with slight inspirations and expirations. Every muscle is at rest ; 

 there is not the slightest exertion during this long period of torpidity, and 

 hence there is but slight drain on the system and the store of fat. In the 

 spring, when this hibernation is over, the male bear leaves his nest in the 

 rocks, nearly as fat as when he entered it in the fall ; but now, even if he 

 find food comparatively abundant, he loses flesh rapidly, and soon becomes 

 very lean. The female, on the other hand, is lean when she comes out 

 from her retreat. The reason for this difference is not far to seek. It is 

 in the winter that her young are born, and the little cubs suckle for two 

 months before the mother leaves the nest, and all this time she is without 

 food, and the milk is formed from her fat stored up in the previous sum- 

 mer. The young, when born, are very small and helpless. They are not 

 six inches long, weigh less than a pound, and are not covered with hair. 

 They are blind, and their eyes do not open for a month. 



The principal cause of hibernation seems to be a question of food sup- 

 ply. As long as mast remains abundant, so long will the bears prowl about, 

 no matter how severe the weather may be. Hibernation in the case of 

 the bears seems to be more a provision to bridge over a time of scarcity of 

 food, than any physiological requirement caused by temperature and the 

 like. In the case of the female, however, another element — the approach- 

 ing maternity — is to be mentioned in this connection. 



The black bear is far from ferocious. It will turn and run from a man 

 if it can have a chance, but if cornered it will fight. A female with cubs 

 is, however, a more dangerous beast ; for she is always ready to defend her 

 young, and will even take the aggressive. Bears strike the enemy and try 

 to throw him down, and then bite and tear him. It is usually said that 

 they try to hug and squeeze a man to death, but old hunters deny this. 

 They grasp the victim with the fore arms and hold him tight, but this is 



