VII 

 THE AMERICAN BLACK BEAR 



PART I STUDYING THE BLACK BEAR 



IN THE ROCKIES 



NEITHER a rattlesnake nor a black bear will do 

 you the least bit of harm if you mind your own 

 business, and at least give them elbow room. 

 Neither one has any desire to make your ac- 

 quaintance. In fact, it has been my impression 

 that a black bear makes a business of keeping 

 out of sight, and would say that he attends to his 

 business very well indeed. If by any chance, 

 though, you have approached so near that you 

 should make either of them feel you are too un- 

 comfortably near, they will both strike with a 

 vengeance, in their own way, peculiar to each. 



It is the common idea that a black bear will 

 hug people to death. This is of course a mistake. 

 A bear almost invariably makes its attack by 

 striking a stunning blow with the forepaw and 



tearing with his very formidable claws. A large 



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