368 



FORTY-FOUR YEARS OP 



worms, little animals, ground-hogs, rabbits, sqnin-els, bird's 

 nests, hogs and sheep, and sometimes cattle. 



The bear, when full grown, weighs about four hundred 

 pounds, and is exceedingly strong, far beyond what is war- 

 ranted by its appearance. It can seize a large hog in its 

 grasp, and walk on its hiiid feet a hundred yards, witliout 

 resting its burden on the ground. 



The bear becomes exceedingly fat when well supplied 

 with nuts ; and, strange to say, when well covered with 

 fat, it eats sand, and the rosin which comes out of pine- 

 trees. These substances pass down to within two or three 



inches of the end of the last intestine, where they form a 

 hard mass, to which the intestine adheres so firmly, that it 

 cannot be separated from it without tearing the inner coat- 

 ing of the bowels. In this condition the bear enters its 

 hole, lays and sleeps from about Christmas until the last 

 week in April, and, if the weather be unfavorable, until 

 the first day of May, neither eating a particle of food nor 

 drinking any water. When the weeds and grass have 

 attained % suflBcient growth, the bear comes out, and 



