THE BEAR FAMILY— BLACK BEAK. 



253 



abundant, relates how 

 presence of a Bear he 



his hosts behaved in the 

 a tfear ne had just killed. "Directly 

 after his death all the Indians approached him, 

 especially the woman we called ' Old Mother.' 

 She took the animal's head into her hands, patted 

 and repeatedly kissed it and asked forgiveness a 

 thousand times, assuring the dead Bear that it was 

 not the Indians who had killed him, but that an 

 Englishman had been guilty of that evil deed. 

 This ceremony did not last very long, for soon the 

 skinning and dividing of the meat began. Each 

 person in the party took his burden of skin, meat 

 or fat and we started for home. As soon as we 

 arrived, the head of the Bear was adorned with 

 silver bracelets and all the gaudy ornaments the 

 family possessed. Then 

 it was put on a stand and 

 a quantity of tobacco 

 was deposited before its 

 nose. On the following 

 morning preparations 

 for a feast were made. 

 The hut was cleaned and 

 swept, the head of the 

 Bear was put on a high 

 place and covered with 

 a new handkerchief 

 which had never been 

 used. After the pipes 

 had been put in order, 

 the Indian blew tobacco 

 smoke into the Bear's 

 nostrils. He asked me 

 to do likewise, assuring 

 me that I, who had 

 killed the animal, would 

 certainly appease its ire 

 in this way. I tried to 

 convince my kindly and 

 well-meaning host that 

 the Bear did not live, but 

 I failed in this attempt. 

 Finally my host made a 

 speech, in which he en- 

 deavored to glorify the 

 Bear, and after this the 

 repast on the Bear's 

 flesh began." 



The Black All Black 

 Bear in Bears which 



Captivity, j have ob- 

 served differ materially 

 from their kin by their 

 gentleness and good na- 

 ture. They never make 

 hostile use of their 

 strength in their rela- 

 tions with their keepers, but completely acknowl- 

 edge human supremacy, and present no difficulties 

 in their training. At any rate they fear the keeper 

 more than he does them. A small Elephant, which 

 was being led past the cages of several Musquaws 

 which I took care of, frightened them to" such an 

 extent that they hurriedly climbed up a tree, as if 

 they considered themselves to be safe there. They 

 show no desire to fight with other Bears which may 

 be brought to them, and even a small individual of 

 their own species, if courageous, can acquire the 

 supremacy in the cage. 



Captive Black Bears constantly display their 

 agility in climbing. Whenever they are frightened 



by anything, they jump up to the first boughs of a 

 smooth oak, to the height of about six feet, and then 

 ascend to the top with the greatest security and ease. 

 Once the keeper tried to drive the old she-Bear into 

 her cell, but she jumped over him, right into the. 

 tree. The voice of the Black Bear resembles that 

 of the Brown Bear, but is much weaker and more 

 plaintive. Black Bears can be easily spoiled by the 

 liberality of well-meaning friends. They soon come 

 to know a person who makes a practice of feeding 

 them, and when he forgets to give them something, 

 they remind him of it with piteous requests. They 

 accustom themselves to a kind of mendicancy which 

 is irresistible; for their attitudes, with outstretched 

 arms, are so droll, and their whining so pitiful, as to 



BLACK HIMALAYAN BEAR.— This species of Bear, found in China, Japan and northern India, while 

 having many of the characteristics of the other large Bears, has a less clumsy body, larger ears, a shorter snout and 

 shorter claws than most of the other Bears. It is found in forest regions principally, and the picture, which brings 

 out the animal's characteristics, presents the animal amid appropriate surroundings. {Ursus torquatus.) 



move any heart. A few Musquaws in the posses- 

 sion of Count Goertz would search people's pockets 

 for dainties, and they made life a burden for those 

 who brought them nothing. 



The Black An Asiatic representative of the 

 Himalayan Bear family is the Black Himalayan Bear 

 Described. {Ursus torquatiis). His body is com- 

 paratively slender, the head ends in a pointed snout, 

 the forehead and nose forming a nearly straight line, 

 the ears are round and relatively large, the legs are 

 of medium length; the feet are short, and the toes 

 armed with short, vigorous claws. The fur may vary 

 greatly in texture and color, if the several accounts 

 refer to this animal and not to two distinct species. 



