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URSUS AMERICANUS, (PALLAs). 
THE BLACK BEAR. 
Specific Character.—Size small. Feet moderate. Fore claws not twice as 
long as hinder. Colour entirely uniform throughout, either black or brownish ; = 
hairs darkest towards the tips. 
Habitat.—North America from Mexico to Hudson’s Bay, common in Ontario. 
Average Size.—Equal to that of a very large Newfoundland dog, although it 
appears to be larger on account of its long soft coat, which is very thick, 
Average Weight.—200 to 300 pounds. 
Average Height.—3 feet. 
Average Length.—4+ feet. 
Value of Fur.—Per skin, average, $5 to $25. 
The black bear is abundant in Ontario, and is easily distinguished on account 
of his bright black colour. 
The black bear is held by some authorities to be distinct from the cinnamon 
bear, but experienced hunters assert that they have found both black and cinnamon 
cubs in the one litter,and beyond the fact that the colours differ, no distinetions 
appear to have been established. 
The muzzle of the black bear is tan in colour, and very often a white mark is 
found on the throat. This animal is shy and rarely seeks an encounter with man, 
but when cornered or forced to fight becomes at once fierce and dangerous. 
The black bear is little given to animal food, and unless pressed by hunger 
will restrict itself to vegetable diet. In the fall of the year he is at his best; the 
ripe nuts and berries on which he fattens, and the wild honey of which he is inor- 
dinately fond, and which by his strong power of scent he readily finds in hollow 
trees, providing luxurious food. 
In the winter he hibernates, and it is probably owing to the difficulty expe- 
rienced by the hunter in finding the winter quarters, that the bear is not more 
regularly hunted. 
i 
The breeding season occurs in July, the young are born in February, two or 
three being produced at a time. 
The flesh of the bear is palatable and freely eaten, and this not only by hun- 
ters. The carcass of the black bear forms one of the staple attractions of the 
butcher's stall at Christmas time, and commands a ready sale. 
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The fat of the bear is largely used as an article of commerce, and is generally 
manutactured into pomatum. 
a ee ee 
The fur is very valuable for robe purposes, and the demand for it is constantly 
on the increase. 
When born the cubs are of a gray hue, and this colour they retain for the first 
year of their lives, after which the light hue gives place to the coat of glossy 
black. The coat is shed twice a year in spring and autumn. 
