390 NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [15:&— Dec, 19l9 



The habits of the bear are absorbing in their interest. When 

 a grizzly establishes himself in a certain district, he reaches to his 

 full height and leaves his huge claw marks on several trees. It is 

 claimed by some writers that other bears will measure the marks 

 on these trees; if they can reach higher than the bear who made the 

 scratches they set off in search of conquest. If they cannot reach 

 the first claw marks they respectfully leave the domain of the bigger 

 bear unmolested. This habit is observed among other animals, and 

 may explain why a cat standing on its hind legs stretches up a tree 

 and claws the bark. 



Bruin's fondness for sweets leads him into many queer places. 

 The camps of the limibermen are often ransacked in search of 

 molasses ; if it is a barrel, the head is knocked in and then the whole 

 barrel rolled out of doors in order to get every drop. If the molasses 

 should happen to be in a jug, it may be carried to the den to be 

 licked often, in memory of the one-time contents. In robbing a 

 bee tree, the bear endures many bee stings before he can get a taste 

 of the honey. But he persists because he knows that once the 

 honey is exposed the bees will leave him alone and attempt to rescue 

 what is possible of their store. 



There are as many interesting accounts of encounters with bears 

 as there are people to relate them. In spite of his large size and 

 lumbering gait, a grizzly can walk as noiselessly through a forest as 

 a cat, and can run as fast as a good horse. No bear will touch a 

 dead man, and this knowledge is often useful when a man is sur- 

 prised and has no chance of escape. As long as he lies motionless 

 he is said to be safe, but we confess we should like the evidence of a 

 witness who had tried it. 



As a fisherman the bear is expert. Noiselessly taking up his 

 position on the shore or a log, he waits with unending patience for 

 the approach of a fish. With one swift scoop of his paw he has his 

 prey out of the water. He has also learned how to make frogs 

 jtimp from the lily pads and will spend hours in annoying them, 

 just for the pleasure of seeing the splash. Along the stream, during 

 the spawning period, the bear watches over some shallow place to 

 scoop up fish that get stranded on the stones 



Bears are very playful and love to romp and roll around like huge 

 puppies. The cubs are taught early to box and become quite 

 adept. If captured while young they make excellent pets and there 

 are many incidences in which they have been taught to do as many 

 tricks and to conduct themselves as tamely as a dog. Once they 

 earn to trust a man their faithfulness is permanent. 



