THE BLACK BEAR. 7 



summer and autumn months it has a habit of scratching 

 the trunks of the trees with its claws, by frequently stretch- 

 ing itself, as the cat often does ; and even without this 

 indication of its proximity, the well-worn path which it 

 makes between the nearest water and its bed in the 

 tangled thicket or tall reeds soon betrays it. A mongrel 

 pack of dogs, trained to the work, is employed to track 

 and bring it to bay, afterwards teasing and attacking it 

 while the hunter watches his opportunity for a deadly 

 shot at the breast or behind the shoulder. On the dis- 

 cretion and pertinacity, rather than on the courage of 

 these dogs, depends very much the safety of the 

 hunter; for though naturally timid and inoffensive, 

 the bear, when wounded or attacked, is a formidable 

 antagonist to encounter, a full-grown animal standing 

 about three feet high, and measuring frequently five 

 feet in length. 



The colour of the fur, with the exception of a light 

 brown patch on either side of the muzzle, is of a uniform 

 deep black over the whole body. The hair being very long, 

 straight, and evenly laid, gives the coat a remarkably 

 soft and sleek appearance, and the skins (though they do 

 not fetch so much as they used to do) are always in re- 

 quest, whatever may be the fluctuations in the demand 

 for other furs. They are especially in esteem as wraps for 

 sleighing. Nothing can be richer and more handsome in 



