IN THE LAND OF THE BORA. 221 



it is invariably a crevice iu the rocks. He pre- 

 pares his bed in autumn, and visits it occasionally 

 to see if it is all right. Should he notice any 

 suspicious sign, or any taint of man, he at once 

 forsakes it and the immediate neighbourhood. If 

 all be well, he enters it at the beginning of winter, 

 and blocks up the door with branches and leaves, 

 trusting to the snow soon to cover up the signs 

 of his presence. Only one bear occupies a gaum, 

 the only exception to this rule being that cubs 

 accompany the mother. 



When the snow melts the bears reappear, 

 generally about the middle of April in the Herzego- 

 vina, much about the same time that the cock-of- 

 the- woods begins his noisy courtship. The first 

 knowledge the peasant generally has of the matter 

 is derived from the marks of the digging with 

 which the starved animal at once busies himself. 

 As a rule, the Herzegovinian bear is a vegetarian, 

 and his favourite food at this season is the root of 

 a calladium-like plant (Arum italicum), whose huge 

 variegated green leaves may be seen everywhere 

 among the rocks in spring. 



The first intelligence of the bears reached 

 Mostar on April 18. Traces having been found 

 by the peasants, the foresters investigated, and 

 two, mother and cub, were seen in the Bjelopolje, 

 just where the successful drive had taken place 

 the previous spring. The hunt, however, could 



