THE AMERICAN BLACK BEAR 197 



large blood vessels, and death came almost im- 

 mediately. 



I still had two cartridges left, and stood for a 

 few moments carefully scanning my surround- 

 ings, half expecting Number Three to appear. 

 But evidently this w r as all. Now, whether I had 

 grizzlies on my mind, or whether it was the sub- 

 dued light caused by the thickness of the woods, 

 that I made such a mistake to take this brown 

 bear for a grizzly, I cannot say. I should have 

 known first, by the conformation of the head, 

 and second, by the fact that black bears and 

 grizzlies do not associate together. However, 

 they frequently occupy the same range, but a 

 black bear generally gives a grizzly a wdde berth. 



The black bear was in fine fur, and as coal 

 black as my horse Coley. The brown was in 

 equally fine fur and of a good seal-brown color. 

 The bears were both males and their skins com- 

 pared almost exactly in size. It is my opinion 

 they were brothers, and had denned together the 

 previous fall. Although apparently together, I 

 think it doubtful that they would den together 

 this fall, as this would be, I believe, unusual. As 

 near as I could judge, they would both be three 

 years old the following spring. 



I made it my business to find out exactly what 



