C 479 ) 



SCIPIO AND THE BEAR. 



The Black Bear {Ursus americanus), however clumsy in appearance, 

 is active, vigilant, and persevering ; possesses great strength, courage, and 

 address ; and undergoes with little injury the greatest fatigues and hard- 

 ships in avoiding the pursuit of the hunter. Like the Deer, it changes 

 its haunts with the seasons, and for the same reason, namely, the desire 

 of obtaining suitable food, or of retiring to the more inaccessible parts, 

 where it can pass the time in security, unobserved by man, the most dan- 

 gerous of its enemies. During the spring months, it searches for food in 

 the low rich alluvial lands that border the rivers, or by the margins of 

 such inland lakes as, on account of their small size, are called by us ponds. 

 There it procures abundance of succulent roots, and of the tender juicy 

 stems of plants, upon which it chiefly feeds at that season. During the 

 summer heat, it enters the gloomy swamps, passes much of its time in 

 wallowing in the mud, like a hog, and contents itself with crayfish, roots, 

 and nettles, now and then, when hard pressed by hungei-, seizing on a 

 young pig, or perhaps a sow, or even a calf As soon as the different 

 kinds of berries which grow on the mountains begin to ripen, the Bears 

 betake themselves to the high grounds, followed by their cubs. In such 

 retired parts of the country where there are no hilly grounds, it pays visits 

 to the maize fields, which it ravages for a while. After this, the various 

 species of nuts, acorns, grapes, and other forest fruits, that form what in 

 the Western Country is called mast, attract its attention. The Bear is 

 then seen rambling singly through the woods to gather this harvest, not 

 forgetting meanwhile to rob every Bee-tree it meets with. Bears being, as 

 you well know, expert at this operation. You also know that they are 

 good climbers, and may have been told, or at least may now be told, that 

 the Black Bear now and then houses itself in the hollow trunks of the lar- 

 ger trees for weeks together, when it is said to suck its paws. You are 

 probably not aware of a habit in which it indulges, and which, being cu- 

 rious, must be interesting to you. 



At one season, the Black Bear may be seen examining the lower part 

 of the trunk of a tree for several minutes with much attention, at the same 

 time looking around, and snuffing the air, to assure itself that no enemy 

 is near. It then raises itself on its hind legs, approaches the trunk, em- 



