CHAPTER XI. 



THE KING OF THE WILDERNESS. 

 The Black Bear. 



The king of the wilderness, if the term has a rea- 

 sonable aj)plication to any one of our wild animals, is 

 undoubtedly the black bear ( Ursus americanus). He 



The Bear. 



is a humorous creature withal, from a certain restrict- 

 ed point of view, and his dignity suffers in conse- 

 quence. At the very mention of a bear we are in- 

 clined to be amused and interested, and it depends 



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