Gael 77 Zo vee AON) Ele ACG Ke B Eval ER, 
AmerIcA furnishes several species of the Bear tribe, two of which, the Grizzly Bear and 
the Musaquaw, or Buack Berar, are the most conspicuous. 
The Black Bear is found in many parts of Northern America, and was formerly seen in 
great plenty. But as the fur and the fat are articles of great commercial and social value, the 
hunters have exercised their craft with such determination that the Black Bears are sensibly 
diminishing in number. The chase of this Bear is an extremely dangerous one, and there are 
but very few Bear-hunters, however dexterous they may be, who do not in the end succumb 
to the claws and teeth of one of these powerful animals. Although it is naturally a very quiet 
and retiring creature, keeping itself aloof from mankind, and never venturing near his haunts 
except when incited by the pangs of fierce hunger, it is a truly furious beast when hemmed in 
by its antagonists, and all hope of escape cut off. Seated erect, with its eyeballs darting fury, 
its ears laid closely upon its head, its tongue lolling out of its mouth, and every gesture glow- 
ing with fierce energy, it presents a sight that is sufficient to unnerve any but an experienced 
hunter, who has learned by long practice to preserve a cool demeanor under the most exciting 
circumstances. Horses are almost useless at such a juncture, for unless they have been most 
carefully trained to the task, they are seized with such mental terror at the sight and scent of 
the infuriate animal that they give way to their frantic fears, and become wholly unmanage- 
able by their rider. As the Bear stands, or rather sits at bay, it deals such terrible and rapid 
blows with its ready paws that it strikes down the attacking dogs as if they were so many rab- 
bits, and ever and anon makes a furious charge at its enemies. Nothing but a rifle-ball seems 
to check the creature when it is wrought up to this pitch of fury, for even the severest wounds 
from a knife seem, unless they reach the heart, to have only the effect of exciting the animal 
to more furious rage. 
As is the case with the Bears which have already been mentioned, the Black Bear is in 
the habit of passing the cold months of winter in some comfortable residence which it has pre- 
pared in the course of the summer. Practical hunters, however, remark that unless the Bear 
is exceedingly fat at the commencement of the cold season, it does not venture to betake itself 
to its winter home, but gets through the winter without hybernation. When they can be 
detected in their dens, the hybernating Bears are often so oppressed with irresistible sleep, 
that they can hardly be induced to move sufficiently to enable their discoverer to plant a fatal 
wound. 
The fat of the Bear is, as is well known, considered as an infallible specific for increas- 
ing the growth of the hair and promoting its gloss, and is therefore a valuable article of 
commerce. The only portion of the fat that is legitimately employed for this purpose is 
the hard white fat which is found in the interior of the body. As might be expected from 
the enormous amount of titular ‘‘ Bear’s-grease” which is annually consumed, even in 
England, but a very small proportion of the substance which is called by that name has ever 
formed part of a Bear’s person. The pig steps in to make good the deficiency, and the 
greater portion of the material which is sold under the name of Bear’s-grease is in reality 
nothing more or less than hog’s-lard, colored and scented in order to charm the eye and 
nostrils of the purchaser. The fur of the Black Bear is not so roughly shaggy as that of the 
European or the Syrian Bear, but is smooth and glossy in its appearance, so that it presents a 
Vou. Il. or 6-von. Eprrron. 317 
