206 BIG GAME FIELDS 



be born I would say two or three is the average ; 

 four is rare, but three is often met with, and a she 

 bear followed by one cub does not always indicate 

 that the young hopeful had no brothers or sisters, 

 as they may not have survived all the dangers 

 of cubdom. At birth they are ridiculously small, 

 compared with the size of the mother, and weigh 

 but a few ounces. I have never weighed one, 

 but understand that Dr. Hornaday, director of 

 the New York Zoological Park, has, and that 

 their weight runs from eight to eighteen ounces, 

 depending on the number in the litter. Their 

 eyes are closed they have no teeth, nor have they 

 their little furry jacket as yet. The reason ad- 

 vanced for bears being so unusually small at 

 birth, is that the old bear having remained all 

 winter M 7 ithout food, and not being able to forage 

 for some weeks after the young are born, it would 

 naturally be a great drain to nurse cubs that 

 weighed several pounds. So Nature has thus pro- 

 vided in this way. 



Unlike the grizzly, the black bears mate every 

 year, or nearly so. Grizzlies may be put down 

 for about every other year. When the cubs are 

 from six to eight weeks old, they are able to 

 accompany their mother and do so all during that 

 summer. It is usually about berry time before 



