50 The Black Bear. 



thinner animal than the black bear proper, extremely savage, and is 

 distinguished by a white star or crescent on his breast. Marvelous 

 tales are related of his ruthless doings, and any act of more than 

 ordinary ferocity and daring, such as the wanton destruction of a 

 large number of sheep, in daylight, in sight of the farm-house, is 

 always attributed to a ranger. It is also said of him that he never 

 hibernates, but prowls about all winter, seeking what he may 

 devour, and keeping the farmers constantly on the alert to protect 

 their stock. I have never had sufficient proof to warrant belief in 

 the existence of a ranger bear, but have occasionally met with 

 specimens of the black bear answering in some points to the above 

 description. For instance, I have seen several black bears with 

 white crescents on their breasts. The truth probably is that at 

 times, during mild winters, a stray black bear may be seen prowling 

 about, when, in accordance with all accepted ideas on the subject, he 

 should be fast asleep. This probable fact, and the variation in size 

 and form common to all animals, no doubt account for the popular 

 belief in the existence of the ranger bear. 



The time when the black bear selects the den in which his long 

 winter nap is taken depends on the openness or severity of the 

 season. In any season, he is seldom met abroad after the first of 

 December, and he is not seen again until the first warm days of 

 March. He does not seem particular as to the character of his den, 

 provided it shields him from the inclemency of the weather. A retreat 

 dug by his powerful claws under the roots of a windfall, a rocky cave 

 on the hill-side, or a hollow log, if he can find one large enough to 

 admit him, will serve for a winter home. When he is ready to 

 hibernate, he is in fine condition and his fur is at its best. When he 

 comes out in the spring, he is in a sorry condition, and is seldom 

 molested unless he makes himself troublesome to farmers. Numer- 

 ous, and curious beyond belief, have been the theories and explana- 

 tions offered by naturalists to account for the suspension of the 

 functions of nature during hibernation. An Indian whom I have 

 found to be trustworthy has often called my attention to fir-trees 

 which had been freshly stripped of their bark, to a distance of five or 

 six feet from the ground, and has told me that it was the work of 

 bears that were after the balsam, large quantities of which, according 

 to the Indian, they eat every autumn before going into their dens. 



