THE KING OF THE WILDERNESS. 



189 



sniffed tlie air suspiciously after a few moments, and 

 then made off in a direction opposite to that of the 

 fisherman in the greatest haste. 



In February, 1878, three Adirondack hunters 

 while on a panther hunt came across prints in the 

 snow of a large female hear ; she was traced to her 

 den, but was found already frozen in so she could 

 not get out. After she was shot three cubs about 

 three weeks old were taken from the den, but they 

 were too young to raise, and soon died. In April 

 of the same year another den was found in a swamp 

 near Fourth Lake, Fulton Chain. The 

 den, which was in the side of a knoll, 

 was discovered by the proximity of 

 the young cubs, who were playing 

 outside and did not know enough 

 to " go in " when the hunters ap- 

 peared. The mother bear again 

 could not get out, and was easily 

 killed. In the following June a ■ 

 very young be:^,r was shot by Dr. 

 Bagg, also in the vicinity of Fourth 

 Lake ; it weighed about ten pounds, 

 and its stomach was filled with old beechnuts. The 

 poor little creature had evidently lost its mother ; 

 and Dr. Bagg, hearing a strange squealing like that 

 of a pig, imitated the sound with such success that 



Cubs. 



