NORTH AMERICA. 



77 



It seldom exceeds five feet in length, and is rather timid and mild. In cold regions it sleeps 

 through the winter. 



Like the American black bear, the Grizzly Bear (Ursus ferox) inhabits the northern part 



of America ; but, unlike him, he is, perhaps, the 

 most formidable of all bears in m.agnitude and fero- 

 city. He averages twice the bulk of the black 

 bear, to which, however, he bears some resem- 

 blance in his slightly elevated forehead, and narrow, 

 flattened, elongated muzzle. His canine teeth are 

 of great size and power. The feet are enormous- 

 ly large ; the breadth of the fore foot exceeding 

 nine inches, and the length of the hind foot, exclu- 

 sive of the talons, being eleven inches and three 

 quarters, and its breadth seven inches. The talons 

 sometimes measure more than six inches. He is, 

 accordingly, admirably adapted for digging up the 

 ground, but is unable to climb trees, in which latter respect he ditTers wholly from every other 

 species. The color of his hair varies to almost an indefinite extent, between all ihe intermedi- 

 ate shades of a light gray and a black brown ; the latter tinge, however, being that which pre- 

 dominates. It is always in some degree grizzled, by intermixture of grayish hairs, only the 

 brown hairs being tipped with gray. The hair itself is, in general, longer, finer, and more exu- 

 berant than that of the black bear. 



The neighborhood of the Rocky Mountains is one of the principal haunts of this animal. 

 There, amidst wooded plains and tangled copses of bough and underwood, he reigns as much 

 the monarch, as the lion is of the sandy wastes of Africa. Even the bison cannot withstand his 

 attack. Such is his muscular strength, that he will drag the ponderous carcass of the animal to 

 a convenient spot, where he digs a pit for its reception. The Indians regard him with the ut- 

 most terror. His extreme tenacity of life renders him still more dangerous ; for he can endure 

 repeated wounds which would be instantaneously mortal to other beasts ; and, in that slate, can 

 rapidly pursue his enemy. So that the hunter who fails to shoot him through the brain, is 

 placed in a most perilous situation. 



Richardson relates the following story of a grizzly bear : — 



" A party of voyagers, wlio had been employed all day in tracking a canoe up the Saskatcliavvaii, 

 had seated tliemsclves in the twilight by a fire, and were busy in preparing their supper, when a large 

 grizzly bear sprang over their canoe that was beliind them, and seizing one of tlie party by the shoul- 

 der, carried liim off. The rest fled in terror, with the exce]3tion of a man named Bourasso, who, 

 grasping his gun, followed the bear as it was retreating leisurely with its prey. He called to Ins un- 

 fortunate comrade that he was afraid of hitting liim if he fired at the bear, but the latter entreated 

 him to fire immediately, as the animal was squeezing him to death. On tiiis, he took a deliberate 

 aim, and discharged Ids piece into the body of the bear, whicli instantly dropped its prey to pursue 

 Bourasso. He escaped with difticulty, and the bear retreated to a thicket, where it is supposed to 

 have died. The man who was rescued had his arm fractured, and was otherwise severely bitten by 

 the bear, but finally recovered." 



The same author mentions a man now living, who was attacked by a grizzly bear, which 

 sprang out of a thicket, and with one stroke of his paw completely scalped him, laying bare the 

 skull, and bringing the skin of his forehead down over the eyes. Assistance coming up, the 

 bear made ofl' without doing him further injury ; but the scalp not being replaced, the poor man 

 has lost his sight, although he thinks that his eyes are uninjured. 



The Jlmerican Badger (Jlleles Labradorica) frequents the sandy plains or jirairies which 



skirt the Rocky Mountains, as far north as the Peace River 

 and sources of the River of the Mountains, in latitude 58^. It 

 abounds on the plains watered by the Missouri, but its exact 

 southern range has not, as far as is known, been defined by any 

 traveler. The sandy prairies in the neighborhood of C'arlton- 

 house, on the banks of the Saskatchawan, and also on the Red 

 River, that flows into Lake Winnipeg, are perforated by innu- 

 merable badger-holes, which are a great annoyance to horsemen, 

 particularly when the ground is covered with snow. At this 



Grizzly Bear. 



American Badger 



