AMERICAN BEARS 



25 



and quiet." Some writers assert that the cubs are born 

 during the very early part of the winter, and remain 

 in the snow-den until May, when all three animals come 

 forth, and that at a time of the year when food is 

 abundant. Surely the mother needs it then ; , and she 

 also has the task of teaching her cubs how to provide 

 for themselves. 



The superb valor that a she-bear will display when 

 defending her cubs is vouched for by those who have 

 witnessed such scenes. Out of a large number of such 

 stories, let us select the following, told by Scoresby in 

 his Voyage to Greenland. He narrates that "early in the 

 morning, the man at the mast-head gave notice that three 

 bears were making their way very fast over the ice, 

 and directing their course toward the ship. They had 

 probably been invited by the blubber of a sea-horse which 

 the men had set on fire, and which was burning on the 



READY FOR A NOONDAY NAP 



Figure 5. In the forest, Black Bears are extremely cautious as to 

 where they take a mid-day nap; this cut exhibits their usual procedure 

 under such circumstances. If they do not sleep with one eye open 

 they have both nostrils alert, and their keen sense of smell warns 

 them of approaching danger. 



ice at the time of their approach. They proved to be 

 a she-bear and her two cubs; but the cubs were nearly 

 as large as the dam. They ran eagerly to the fire, and 

 drew out from the flames part of the flesh of the sea- 

 horse which remained unconsumed, and ate it. The crew 

 from the ship threw great pieces of the flesh, which they 

 had still left, upon the ice, which the old bear carried 

 away singly, laid every piece before her cubs, and, 

 dividing them, gave each a share, reserving but a small 



portion for herself. As she was carrying away the last 

 piece, the men leveled their muskets at the cubs and 

 shot them both dead ; in her retreat they wounded the 

 dam, but not mortally. 



"It would have drawn tears of pity from any but 

 unfeeling minds to have marked the affectionate concern 

 manifested by this poor beast in the last moments of her 

 expiring young. Though she was sorely wounded, and 

 could but just crawl to the place where they lay, she 

 carried the lump of flesh she had fetched away, as she 



Photograph by Mr. H. K. Vreeland. 



A MONSTER GRIZZLY 



Figure 6. This picture shows a big Grizzly at home in the forests of 

 northwestern Wyoming. Strong shadows of the trees cross the trail 

 behind him, and his own deep shadow obscures his right foreleg and 

 its enormous claws. These latter, however, are well shown on the feet. 



had carried the others, tore it into pieces, and laid it 

 down before them ; and when she saw they refused to 

 eat, she laid her paws first upon one and then on the 

 other, and endeavored to raise them up. All this while 

 it was piteous to hear her moan. When she found she 

 could not stir them, she went off, and when at some dis- 

 tance looked back and moaned ; and that not availing 

 to entice them away, she returned, and smelling around 

 them, began to lick their wounds. She went off a second 

 time as before; and having crawled a few paces, looked 

 again behind her, and for some time stood moaning. But, 

 still her cubs not rising to follow her, she returned to 

 them again, and with signs of inexpressible fondness, 

 went round first one and then the other, pawing them 

 and moaning. Finding at last that they were cold and 

 lifeless, she raised her head toward the ship and growled 

 her resentment against the murderers, which they re- 

 turned with a volley of musket-balls. She fell between 

 her cubs, and died licking their wounds." 



And we boast of the humanity of man ! The word 



