

THE GAME ANIMALS OF CANADA 109 



for its spirit of curiosity in the doings of human intruders 

 into its haunts. 

 Black bears usually mate about June or July, and they 

 art a little later. The young are born in January, while 

 e mother is still in her winter den, which may be a natural 

 cavity in the rocks, under a fallen tree or its upturned roots, 

 or even in a hole dug by the bear herself. Usually two cubs 

 are born, but three are not unconmion. The newly born 

 cub is remarkably small. It measures about eight inches 

 long and weighs from nine to twelve ounces. When the 

 spring sun melts the snow and ice in the woods the mother 

 leaves her winter quarters and sallies forth with her young 

 family, than which no more interesting or amusing young- 

 sters can be found in the whole realm of wild Ufe. The 

 brown or cinnamon-coloured bear is merely a colour-variety 

 of the black bear. In the same litter of cubs one may j&nd 

 both black and brown varieties. 



For some time in the spring the black bear subsists largely 

 on roots of various plants, supplemented by an occasional 

 mouse or insect, for it is omnivorous to a degree. Insects 

 constitute a large part of their diet. In the spring and 

 early summer bears frequenting lakes and streams feed 

 extensively on May-flies and shad-flies. Hearne states that 

 they may catch these insects by swimming with their mouths 

 open, and he found their stomachs filled with these insects. 

 As summer wears on they hunt out the nests of bees and 

 rob the accumulated stores of honey or brood. In the hunt 

 for such delicacies their abiUty to climb trees stands them 

 in good stead. Nor do they hesitate to attack any wasps' 

 or hornets' nests. The nests of ants are sought in rotting 

 logs or under stones, etc., and the ants and larvae are greedily 

 devoured. 



Where fish can be obtained they are very acceptable, 

 and the black bears in British Columbia are especially fa- 

 voured by the large quantities of salmon that they are able 



