The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1879-12-03
Bear Babies.

| From an Exchange,
About the middle of January last
the female black bear in a collection
refused to come out Of her den into
the open air pit and would not allow
the male TO approach her. She was
Immediately closed in, and furnished
with an abundance OF hay, with which
she busted herself in making a nice
warm bed. At p. m. on January
70, the young ones were born, and l
did not see them until three days
after, when was surprised by the
keeper informing me that she would
allow him to enter the den. On 60
ing with him, he unlocked the door,
tearlessly walked in, and quickly be-
gan feeding her with bits OF bread,
which he sliced from a loaf in his
hand. By holding the bread just
over her head he finally tempted her
to sit up on her launches, when / CO.
tanned clearer view of the two
young ones, lying asleep just back of
her front paws. From where / stood,
about six feet distant, they did not
seem to exceed six inches in length,
were a dirty whitish color and APP
peared entirely bare of hair. In
about ten days their coats began to
show, and were of a grayish tint.
which gradually passed through the
various shades until they became
brownish black. 1t was just forty
! days before the first ones eyes opened,
and two days after, the second fol-
lowed suit. From that time forward
watched very closely to ascertain
the exact time that would elspse be-
fore the young ones would leave the
nest, and on the seventy.tirst day
after birth, when the mother, as was
her habit, came to the grating to be
ted, one of the youngsters left the
nest and followed her. So soon as
she found it out she Immediately
drew it gently back, and on its sec
oDd attempt she cuffed it soundly,
and put a stop TO its wandering pro-
pensity. After a few days she al
lowed them TO wander about at will,
provided no one was in front of the
den; but SO soon as a visitor put in
an appearance, they were driven back
into the nest and not allowed to
emerge until the stranger was out Of
sight. For some time she always
sucked them in one position, lying
I - IN. an, a
by stretching fiat. with her legs
drawn up under her and her head
tucked down between her front paws.
AS they grew older and began to
run about, she would sit Oh her
launches, lazily lean back against
the wall; take al cub in each forearm,
and hold them up to her breast until
they were satisfied. They soon be-
came expert climbers, taking advan-
tage OF the slightest inequalities OF
the stone walls and the cracks be-
tween the heavy oaken planks to
reach the ceiling of the den on three
sides, while the grating il front
served capitally for their skylarking.
q Occasionally they would have regu'
lar sparring bout, standing erect,
} feinting, countering and making use
of many of the tricks OF old votaries
of the p. r. These frolics would
generally end in clinch, tall and
regular rough.and.tumble fight, when
, the mother would abruptly put stoE
, to it by suddenly knocking both o.
the contestants completely out o.
time. In fact, as they grew apace
: the parental visitations increased sc
rapidly l began to fear she would put
an end to my bear investigations by
chastising the lives out OF them, but
f, of late she has slackened in her at
tentions, and am in hopes OF follow
ing the growth of Ursus Americanuf
from boyhood to adolescence.