








122 BEARS AND BEAR-HUNTING. 
its fellows. These ran for dear life, and the bear-hog 
lowed from social instinct till both fell, if not dead, at lea 
quite exhausted. 
I was not aware that a bear can climb a tree so smalls 
that mentioned by Mr. Clapp. The hunter knows wh 
the animal is in the hollow of the tree above by then 
of the claws. In ascending, he leaves only the puncture 
the claws. In descending, he makes long scratches. 
climb in order to “lap,” as the hunter says, described byd 
Clapp as drawing in branches to get the fruit. I feel inc 
to doubt whether they break off the branches Sor the pu 
of throwing them down and then descending to eat the fru 
looks too much like human reasoning. If the branch b 
he may not be able to hold it; and when he goes down, 
may eat the fruit. This would be all natural enough. 
the South, acorns form the principal mast. They are 
of persimmons too, and grapes. When mast is not pi 
they lap black-gum_ berries (Nyssa multiflora?), and 
impart to the flesh, not a bitter taste, as would natural 
Supposed, but the peculiar savor of fish ; so that, for & 
son of delicate taste, only severe hunger will force him 
eat the meat of a bear that has lapped black-gum. n] 
The female commonly climbs a tree to find a hollow “i 
her winter-quarters, where she has her cubs. I was pres® 
at the taking of one from such a hollow. It was neces 
to climb a neighboring tree ; then a piece of dry rotten W% 
set on fire, loosely attached to a pole and thrust into ® 
nest, soon forced her to turn out, Old, large bears do 
like to climb, and generally hibernate in a thick bunt 
cane or bushes, or among some fallen tree-tops, OF 
hollow log, making a bed of leaves, grass, brush, oF ° 
stuff. During winter, i 5 
as nothing, or only a little mucus in the stomach and M 
tines; and the plug in the vent, as mentioned by Mr. © 
