URSIDjE. 



woods that stretch away north, east, and west, are 

 all inhabited by bears, wolves, foxes, and herds of 

 deer. 



The Black Bear of North America has been confounded 

 with that of Europe, but it is a distinct species, and 

 may easily be distinguished by its smaller head and 

 the greater height of the forehead ; its ears are also 

 longer and its feet smaller than those of the latter 

 animal. This Bear appears to be peculiar to North 

 America, and no remains of it, as far as I am aware, 

 have ever been found either in Europe or Asia. 



Its usual winter retreat is in some hole among the 

 rocks, or under the trunk of a fallen tree, and here it 

 sleeps away the long cold months. The period of its hiber- 

 nation varies in length in different latitudes, and also 

 according to the variation in the seasons of particular years, 

 commencing and terminating with the continuance of the 

 snow upon the ground. With the she-bear this period 

 is also that of gestation, which lasts for four months, and 

 with a view to the future safety of her young, she gene- 

 rally selects for her retirement the hollow of some trunk, 

 broken off by the wind at a sufficient height from the 

 ground to render approach difficult. The cubs vary 

 in number from one to four. 



As may be supposed, the bear, when deeply covered 

 by the snow, is not very liable to discovery ; but in the 



