AMERICAN BEARS. 273 



should read his notes on the bears of America ; which 

 proposition was seconded by Jake. The young hunter 

 made no objection, and opening his manuscript he 

 began : 



" I will take the common black bear first, as he is more 

 widely distributed and is therefore more generally 

 known than either of the other species. In colour, as 

 his designation implies, he is ordinarily a deep black ; 

 but is furnished with a yellowish-red patch upon the 

 muzzle, upon which also the hair is smooth and short. 

 This patch, however, is not invariably present, as in- 

 stances are not wanting in which it has been absent. 

 The colour, too, sometimes varies, approaching more 

 nearly to brown in some specimens than in others. 

 Occasionally animals of this species have been seen 

 with dashes of white, but these are very uncommon 

 others have been observed of a cinnamon colour. Upon 

 these differences of hue in the pelage some have 

 founded the theory of a difference of species. But 

 such persons cannot have had much practical ac- 

 quaintance with the subject. I have myself seen a 

 bear as black as jet followed by cubs of a different 

 colour " 



"I reckon that's so," interjected Jake; "an' this 

 niggur has seed a brown b'ar wi' cubs as black as the 

 pelt ye fetched in a while agone. It's all a chance 

 what colour the young uns takes to, though, o' coorse, 

 black's the most nat'ral." 



Pierre continued " The black bear devours roots of 



