54 JOXES — ox THE BACK^VOODS^ 



until about the latter end of June, and den with her throujrh the' 

 next winter ; remaining with her till two years old, and leave her 

 for good when she leaves her den the second spring after birth. 

 Bears are fat when they leave their dens in spring, but soon get 

 poor, finding but little food at that time of year. It is at this 

 time that they are apt to commit fora3^s upon the flocks oi the 

 back settlers. These animals are known to sit and watch at the 

 falls of streams for fish passing up in spring. Their principal 

 food, however, consists of the wild fruits of the forest, ants, 

 hornets and wasps and bees, whose nests they invade for the 

 purpose of securing the larvse, Avax, or honej^ within. They 

 care nothing for the stings of the infuriated hornets and wasps, 

 but the cubs cry out when stung, but nevertheless keep fast 

 hold of the comb. Cubs will not fight with the mother when 

 she attacks any one, but run up trees. Rutting time is in 

 June when the he bears are very savage, sometimes going in 

 gangs of twenty or more, and when they come near a she bear 

 they commence fighting among themselves furiously, making 

 the most hideous roarings all the time, and if one gets killed in 

 the fray the rest fall upon him and eat him. They fight by first 

 rising on their hind legs and rushing at each other, hugging, 

 biting and scratching, endeavouring to rip their antagonists' 

 stomachs open with their hind claws. Bears shed their coats 

 about July. They stalk young moose by creeping upon them, 

 and when close to make a great spring. Having killed the 

 moose they skin him just as clean as a man would, and begin ta 

 eat the chest first, tearing out the paunch which they throw 

 away. They dislike wet weather, and take shelter where they 

 can keep dry under rocks, &c., and other places. When the 

 old bears go into dens in the fall, they take plenty of dead leaves 

 and fern, and make a good bed of them, and the she bear makes 

 no further provision at cubbing time. They always return, if 

 alive, to the same den each fall, but if a porcupine takes posses- 

 sion while they are away in summer, and leaves droppings 

 about, the bear will not return to that den again. A large size 

 bear will weigh over six hundred pounds, and give one hundred 

 pounds of grease, for which one shilling sterling per pound is 

 given at Shelburne, while at Halifax a Avine bottle full sells for 



