194 FAMILIAR LIFE IN FIELD AND FOEEST. 



parently they were not more tlian six inches long, 

 dirty white in color, and quite hairless. After ten 

 days their coats began to show, first grayish and then 

 a variety of shades, which finally terminated in 

 brownish black. In forty dp.ys their eyes were open ; 

 thirty-one days later they followed their mother to the 

 bars of the cage where she was fed ; but she did not 

 approve of this, and led them back ; the second time 

 they followed her she cuffed them back. After a 

 few more days she allowed them to wander at will, if 

 no one was immediately in front of the cage ; but if 

 a visitor appeared they were promptly driven within 

 the den and kept there until tiie intruder disappeared. 

 As the young cubs grew older they climbed all over 

 the cage and had regular sparring bouts, ending 

 in a clinch and a rough-and-tumble fight, when the 

 mother would interfere and knock both completely 

 out of time." 



The black bear has commonly from two to three 

 cubs, rarely four, and it is doubtful whether she has 

 more than one litter in two years. It would seem 

 very unlikely that the young cubs could fall a prey to 

 the fox, panther, or fisher, but such is the case ; and 

 Mr. Charles C. Ward cites an instance* where an 

 Indian hunter, who knew of two litters of cubs which 



* Vide The Century Magazine for March, 1882, p. 719. 



