CLASS I. MAMMALIA: ORDER 5. GARNI VORA. 



161 





TH3 GRIZZLY DEAR. 



weighing often a thousand pounds, to a chosen place, digs a pit for its reception, and repairs 

 to it till the exhausted store compels him to renew the chase. Yet he will be satisfied with fruits 

 and roots ; but on his diet depends the aggravated or mitigated ferocity of his disposition. This 

 animal is very tenacious of life : one has been known to receive fifteen bullets before he was 

 killed. The long, hooked claws are strung into necklaces, and are highly prized by the Indians 

 as trophies of their prowess. The following account of the habits of the grizzly bear is given by 

 Sir John Richardson : 



"A party of voyagers who had been employed all day in tracking a canoe up the Saskatche- 

 wan had seated themselves in the twilight by a fire, and were busy in preparing their supper, 

 when a large grizzly bear sprang over the canoe that was tilted behind them, and seizing one of 

 the party by the shoulder, carried him off. The rest fled in terror, with the exception of a metif 

 named Bourasso, who, grasping his gun, followed the bear as it was. retreating leisurely with its 

 prey. He called to his unfortunate comrade that he was afraid of hitting him if he fired, at 

 the bear, but the latter entreated him to fire immediately, without hesitation, as the beast was 

 squeezing him to death. On this he took a deliberate aim, and discharged his piece into, the 

 body of the bear, which instantly dropped its prey to pursue Bourasso. Be escaped with difficulty, 

 and the bear ultimately retreated to a thicket, where it was supposed to have died ; but the curi- 

 osity of the party not being a match for their fears, the fact of its decease was not ascertained. 



Vol. I.— 21 



