\22 Rooscz'cU iVild Life BitUctin 



ing frum the same direction as the first two. These came on at a 

 gallop and as they neared their fellows the two first-comers gave 

 way a little, while tlie strangers- sought out a satisfactory dining 

 place for themseh'es. Soon a third pair of grizzlies appeared, gallop- 

 ing toward their feeding brethren from the same direction. At 

 sight of these last two tlie four that were feeding ceased and stood 

 back, allowing the newcomers to approach and choose an eating 

 place. Then all six settled down to sorting over the garbage peace- 

 fully together. This procedure was evidently grizzly etiquette. 

 The six animals were adults and of equal size, and were easily 

 distinguishable from the black bears even in the dim light by their 

 high shoulders or "humps'' and their saddle-shaped backs. We 

 waited a quarter of an hour longer, whispering our remarks to one 

 another so as not to disturb the shadowy monsters scarcely two 

 hundred feet away. Xo more grizzlies came, and darkness settled 

 down on the silent landscape. 



A few nights afterward I saw ten grizzlies come to the same 

 dump. One old grizzly with three cubs, this year's litter, came early 

 just as the sun had sunk behind the dark pine-clad plateau. She 

 approached slowly, being a cautious mother with a large family to 

 fend for. She preceded her cubs a few yards and ascended the re- 

 fuse dump. Later, the ^-oung ones were allowed to come up. Soon, 

 however, her peace was broken b}' tlie appearance of the six grizzlies 

 seen the night before, who came trotting along quite unconcerned. 

 The mother moved away hurriedly Avith her cubs and gazed warily 

 at the six as they nosed about among the tin cans. The babies 

 stood up on their hind legs and stretched their wee necks to have 

 a look at their big brothers. Finall}', the mother made the cubs stop 

 where they were while she went forward to feed and mingle with 

 the six grizzlies now in possession of the dump. The 3'oung ones 

 were well trained and sat patientty waiting in silence. As grizzh' 

 bear cubs do not usually climb trees the}^ have little defense against 

 members of their own species except by running. They are always 

 in greater danger when they break parental discipline than are 

 black bear cubs who can more readily climb to safety. On several 

 other occasions I watched the grizzlies come to the dump, but never 

 saw them solitary. 



The Yellowstone Park staff should guard their grizzly bears as 

 their most precious possession and should not allow any to be 

 taken from the Park for any purpose, under any pretext. No 

 museum should be allowed to kill specimens for scientific or exhibi- 



