AV THE FAR WEST. 23 



seen some that measured seven feet in length, and weighed 

 over nine hundred pounds when in good condition, and these 

 were thought to be rather large in the llocky Mountain region ; 

 but I should judge that those found in warmer climates, such as 

 Southern California, Arizona, and other places, were not only 

 larger but also fiercer than their northern kindred. 



The forehead of the grizzly is broad, flattish, and nearly on 

 a line with the nose ; the ears are longer than the tail, and 

 are more arched and conical than those of the black bear ; the 

 legs are thick and very powerful ; the claws are exceedingly 

 long, ranging from two and a half to six inches, and project 

 some distance beyond the hair of the foot ; r.ud the foot has a 

 length of about eighteen inches. The claws are very sharp, 

 and so dense that they cut like a keen sabre when the animal 

 uses them ; and, to make them as effective as possible, nature 

 has made the fore claws double the length of the hinder. 



The grizzly has an erect mane between the shoulders ; a dark 

 dorsal stripe from the occiput to the tail ; a lateral one on each 

 side along the flanks, but nearly concealed by the light tips ; 

 and the intervals between the stripes are lightest in hue. The 

 hairs on the body are a brownish-yellow, with hoary tips 

 occasionally ; the muzzle is pale ; the parts around the ears 

 are dusky; the legs are inclined to be darkish in hue; and the 

 tail is so short as to be hidden by hair. The presence of this 

 giant may be known long before it is seen, by the size of its 

 footsteps, and especially by their great width. 



This is the bear of the mountains, as its congener is of the 

 forests and lowlands; yet it is not confined in its habitat to 

 rugged regions, but goes wherever food is to be found. It 

 is a denizen of nearly all the States and Territories west of 

 the Rocky Mountains, but it is not met further north than 

 the 42nd parallel on the Cascade Range, or about the junc- 

 tion of Oregon and California. It roams to British America 

 however in another direction, by following the lower chains 

 that trend northward from the llocky Mountains, and is as 

 abundant in some portions of that country as it is further 

 south. 



It hibernates durin<r the winter in the northern regions : 



