Black Bear and its Habits. 73 



in the brown species. In outward appearances there is a 

 close resemblance between it and the black bear of the 

 Himalayas, which, however, always maintains the white 

 crescent on the brisket, and invariably more of it ; at the 

 same time, there are pronounced cranial and other dis- 

 tinctions, considered quite sufficient to separate them ; where- 

 as the barren ground bear and the old-world brown bear, and 

 its variety the isabelline bear, are, as I have shown elsewhere, 

 most probably identical.* All must, however, disappear with 

 the spread of cultivation, and considering the price set on the 

 snout f is three dollars, it is surprising that so many con- 

 tinue to frequent the region. I was informed, however, that 

 two are the usual number born at one litter, but now and 

 then three are seen. 



The nervous centres of certain bears must be extremely 

 sensitive to very low temperatures. I noticed that a tamed 

 individual of the above species, belonging to the 22nd Regi- 

 ment, during several days of severe frost, when the glass stood 

 steadily below zero of Fahrenheit, although sheltered in a barn 

 among straw, became very drowsy, and scarcely ate its food 

 until the temperature rose ; it never, however, absolutely 

 fell into a complete stupor, and the evacuations went on more 

 or less. No doubt the fat with which the body is loaded 

 in autumn maintains the animal heat, but it rapidly dis- 

 appears in spring, even in a few days after the bear leaves 

 the den, and beforehand with the female when the cubs 

 are suckling. The birth of the latter takes place shortly 



* " Wanderings of a Naturalist," p. 238. 



t The Auditor-General of New Brunswick, W. J. Beeck, Esq., furnished 

 me with the following data. During the years 1860-62 no less than 569 

 bears 5 snouts were produced, when the Act was repealed, but so numerous 

 and destructive did the animal become that the law had to be repassed 

 in 1865; the result was that 1,173 were brought to the magistrates; in 

 1866, 347 ; in 1867, 867 ; thus in six years no less than 2,956 bears were 

 destroyed, not to speak of what had been shot by sportsmen, and not 

 reported. . 



