The Yellowstone Park 



dense pine forest; a soil producing a variety 

 of wild fruits, berries, and roots; a slowly de- 

 caying vegetation upon which flourish grubs 

 and ants, delicate morsels to Bruin — all 

 tend to furnish an environment suitable to 

 the omnivorous bear. Black bears are the 

 most common, but silvertips abound, many 

 of them of great size and strength. They 

 are undoubtedly increasing in numbers, but 

 unless attacked are harmless; and of the 

 thousands of visitors to the Park every year I 

 have yet to learn of one injured by them. 



Of the smaller animals, such as the dif- 

 ferent kinds of the Felidcs, — including moun- 

 tain-lions, — foxes, wolves, porcupines, noth- 

 ing need be said, save that they find within 

 the reservation the essential conditions of a 

 home. Two animals, however, — the wolverene 

 and the beaver, — demand more than mere 

 mention : the former on account of its rarity 

 in the Rocky Mountains, and the consequent 

 danger it runs of extermination, and the latter 

 on account of the never-failing interest which 

 they excite in the tourist, and the frequency 

 with which their dams and habitations may 

 be seen along the traveled routes. The wol- 



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