148 WILD ANIMALS. 



went down smootMy, but tlie left was obstreperous. The tem- 

 porarily suspended animation in my antagonist was rapidly becom- 

 ing restored; the more I hurried, the worse I succeeded, and 

 while making renewed efforts, the bear gained his feet. In an 

 instant he comprehended the situation, and sprang at me. The 

 right barrel was fired without my gun being brought to my 

 shoulder ; for an instant the assailant staggered, but only for an 

 instant, and I received a blow that knocked me almost out of time, 

 sending my gun from my hands with the rapidity of electricity. 

 However, I avoided for a second the effort that was made to lay 

 hold of me ; the next instant my right hand drew my revolver ; 

 one — two shots were fired in rapid succession into the creature's 

 mouth and chest, which was almost within touching distance, 

 when he heeled over, quivered for a moment, gave several convul- 

 sive struggles, and what had possessed animation became a corpse." 



As a rule, the male grizzly bear does not hibernate, but only the 

 female when with young. 



These animals are not easily tamed unless they are caught 

 when mere cubs, and even then their strength and the rough- 

 ness they display make them dangerous. Occasionally in the 

 United States and Canada at the present day, men may be seen 

 exhibiting them in the streets, leading them about with a chain, and 

 secured by a strong muzzle ; but the last one seen by the writer 

 in Canada, attacked and killed his owner a few days afterwards. 



The Zoological Society have possessed several very fine speci- 

 mens of these animals, but, in common with all the other bears 

 in confinement, they are particularly subject to cataract, and are 

 thereby rendered blind ; sometimes, however, after an operation 

 conducted by the aid of chloroform, the disease has been partially 

 removed. 



The BLACK BE AE (Vrsus Americanus) is also a dweller on the 

 American continent, extending from the Atlantic to the Pacific, 

 and from OaHfornia to the Arctic Ocean, and is occasionally to be 

 found as far south as Yirginia. In the wooded districts, before 

 civilization had made such gigantic strides over the country, they 

 were to be found in large numbers, and were eagerly hunted for 

 the sake of their fur. In one year alone, at the beginning of the 



