io8 WATCHED BY WILD ANIMALS 



In a fish country he searches for fish and oc- 

 casionally catches live ones; but he is too rest- 

 less or shiftless to be a good fisherman. I have 

 seen him catch fish by thrusting his nose in root 

 entanglements in the edge of a brook; sometimes 

 he captures salmon or trout that are struggling 

 through shallow ripples. 



Occasionally he catches a rabbit or a bird. 

 But most of his meat is stale, with the killing 

 of which he had nothing to do. He will de- 

 vour carrion that has the accumulated smell 

 of weeks of corruption. He catches more mice 

 than a cat; and in the realm of economic biology 

 he should be rated as useful. He consumes 

 many other pests. 



The black bear is or was pretty well distrib- 

 uted over North America. His colour and activi- 

 ties vary somewhat with the locality, this being 

 due perhaps to a difference of climate and food 

 supply. 



Everywhere, however, he is very much the 

 same. Wherever found he has the hibernating 

 habit. This is most developed in the colder 

 localities. Commonly he is fat at the close of 

 autumn; and as a preliminary to his long winter 

 rest he makes a temporary nest where for a few 

 days he fasts and sleeps. 



With his stomach completely empty he re- 

 tires into hibernating quarters for the winter. 



