394 AMERICAN HOMES” A ND VGAR DENS June, 1906 
c 
ct these bears became vainglorious and decided that he 
needed other decoration than the coat of fur provided by 
nature. He accordingly sallied forth to the garbage heap, 
The Fishing Cone 
Fish Caught in the Lake can be Cooked in the Cone 
selected an empty tomato can with serrated edges, raised his 
right forepaw and inserted it into the can. To-day he struts 
around with his tin-can bracelet, and the kodak fiend who is 
Buffaloes Shedding Coats 
fortunate enough to get a shot, catches him in a proud atti- 
tude that betokens much the same pride that an Indian feels 
with his string of beads. 
A Winter Scene in Yellowstone Park 
Some are timid, others bold, like the big black bear that 
every night peeped into the windows of the hotel until the 
caretaker (for it was winter and he was alone) was glad to 
retreat to the upper floors. But most of the bears near the 
hotels are in a semi-civilized state, and have been known on 
rare occasions to take food from the hand. Too many of 
these intimacies, however, are precarious. In early spring, 
when the cubs are young, no one wants a close acquaintance 
with even a Yellowstone bear. In summer the animals are 
comical and interesting. On the hillside, back of the Canyon 
Hotel, they usually find a feast fit for the gods, and they 
troop down with great solemnity to partake of the meal, the 
older ones watching that the food is not devoured too rapidly 
by the young ones. One evening we saw the bears approach, 
look at us and finally make a dash for the food that they 
had sniffed from afar. Once there, all thoughts of lookers-on 
Ready for Civilization 
were forgotten, and the rapidity with which the food dis- 
appeared was remarkable. They rose on their haunches, 
sniffed the air and set about devouring all sorts of refuse 
with much the same air as a boy eating a piece of chocolate 
cake. Finally, one of the small bears began on a luscious 
Coyote on Yellowstone River 
piece of meat that was fitted for a Bruin epicure. An elderly 
relative saw it, advanced deliberately, struck him a blow with 
his paw that sent him reeling in another direction, and ap- 
propriated the meat. After the meal they looked around, 
whirled and tore up the trail to their mountain home. 
Meal time is always when they may be expected, and the 
drivers of the iron-bound meat wagons know Master Bruin 
would like to get a taste of the contents. Sometimes a bear 
is caught and shipped to some Zoo. One of the largest of 
these beauties was taken by means of a lasso. His wrath 
