THE GIANT BROWN BEARS OF ALASKA. 



93 



in all directions, afford easy travel to the 

 weary prospector with his heavy pack, and 

 the thick carpet of moss deadens his foot- 

 steps. On rounding a sharp turn, he comes 

 face to face with a much surprised bear. 

 The animal thinks himself the victim of a 

 skin game, and naturally shows fight. If 

 the prospector is unarmed, it is likely to go 

 hard with him. Sometimes he wins the 

 day by hammering on his gold-pan and 

 shouting lustily, but other poor fellows are 

 less fortunate. Had the same bear de- 

 tected danger, the prospector on reaching 

 the stream, would have found only roily 

 water and a fresh trail leading through the 

 grass where the bear had made good his 

 escape. 



Secrete yourself near a salmon stream' 

 and watch. The creek is about a foot deep, 

 and hundreds of salmon fight their way 



again and looks about. Convinced of safe- 

 ty he saunters to the edge of the stream 

 and peers into the water. He hesitates 

 but a few seconds, for as the salmon swim 

 past, with a quick stroke of his paw, he 

 gracefully flips one on the bank and 

 seizes it between his teeth. Carrying the 

 fish a few feet from the water's edge, he 

 holds it on the ground with his paws while 

 he eats it entire, or if it is during the 

 height of the salmon run and he is able to 

 secure all the fish he wants, he will take 

 only the head or tear out the belly. I have 

 seen scores of salmon in all stages of decay 

 lying on the bank, with only the parts 

 mentioned missing. The bear does not 

 hesitate to eat fish that have been dead 

 several days, even when possible to catch 

 live ones. 



Bruin is equally at home in a berry patch, 



COPYRIGHT, 1903. BY THE NEW YORK ZC O LOGIC AL SOCIETY. 



Cinnamon. 



A GROUP OF COUSINS IN THE PARK. 



Kadiak. Kadiak. Silvertip Grizzly. 



against the swift current, some even being 

 driven on the bank by their quarrelsome 

 companions. If you are on the lee side of 

 the stream from that on which your game 

 is expected, you will be treated to a spec- 

 tacle well worth your time and trouble ; 

 but if you have not taken that precaution, 

 an approaching bear will surely scent 

 danger and you will miss the drama about 

 to be described. 



From behind the screen of drooping 

 boughs keep close watch of the flat be- 

 fore you. Late in the afternoon a bear ap- 

 pears at the edge of the timber. He rises 

 on his haunches, and with paws dropped 

 by his side, carefully surveys the flat be- 

 fore coming into the open. Then he falls 

 to his feet, and walks slowly toward the 

 stream; but before reaching it he rises 



for he has a delicate tooth for sweets and 

 berries. Here you occasionally catch a 

 glimpse of a bear with his head and shoul- 

 ders above the brush, as he rises and gath- 

 ers in the branches with his paws, then 

 strips off the fruit and leaves between his 

 teeth. Sometimes he is more particular, 

 and while holding the branches is careful 

 to pick only the fruit. 



In captivity bears are slow, clumsy, and 

 awkward, but in their natural haunts their 

 actions are graceful, and when occasion de- 

 mands, remarkably quick. Other than a 

 low guttural noise, they make no sound 

 unless wounded or enraged. Then they 

 bawl, not unlike frightened cattle. The 

 brown bears are fond of water and can 

 swim and dive almost as well as polar 

 bears. 



