The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1894-02-10
BRUINS TRAITS.
Some Queer Things About the Black Bear.

A majority of the people who have
found time to give some thought TO the
great American bear have got the idea
into their heads somehow-and natur-
ally. perhaps-that when he comes out
of his hole in the spring, after his long
winter sleep, he is lean and scraggy and
of a generally used up appearance.
Such people will doubtless be surprised
to learn, on the best OF backwoods
authority, that just the contrary is the
fact.
The bear, when he seeks his winter
quarters, IS about the fattest thing on
four legs. He doesn't swell up with
fat like pig, but seems to get fat all
over. When he starts in to accumu-
late this fat the bear can eat bushel
| of chestnuts at meal without giving
any sign that he could not eat another
bushel if any oae insisted. As he
gets fat his stomach gets smaller and
smaller, until, when he is in proper
condition for wintering over, its capa-
city is insufficient for handful of food.
Every part of the bear has made room
for fat, and this fat sticks right to Bruin
all winter and keeps him warm.
If you are after bear for his grease
you want to kill him either just before
he goes into his hole in the fall or
Immediately after he comes cut of it in
the spring. In ten days after the bear
wakes up and crawls out after his win
ter's nap he will be almost as lean as
razor back hog, although he has been
eating everything eatable he could get
his paws on since he woke up-and
that is a good deal.
He keeps lean until he begins to get
ready for winter again, and then rolls
up his fat as before. 1t seems odd
that bear should keep fat for months
without eating anything and lose his
flesh as soon as he begins to take in
yictuals, but that is the way the bear is
made, and l don't see how we are 60
ing to help it.
For this habit of the bear biting par
ticular trees while he IS travelling even
backwoods authority has no satisfactory
theory. The trees may be two rods,
or they may be half mile or more
away from his line of travel, but no
bear passing that way ever fails 10 sheer
off to them and bite a piece out of
them, unless he may be too closely
pressed by dogs-and the dogs have
got to be very close if the bear cannot
take time to indulge IN his bite from
these trees.
Any experienced North Pennsylvania
woodsman can take you to trees of this
kind that are almost bitten in two by
bears that have stopped and chewed
them in accordance with this peculiar
ursine custom. The bear has some
reason or purpose in picking out trees
to be visited and bitten whenever he
passes that way, but what it may be no
one has as yet had the courage to say
| that he knows.
When the black bear is serious he is
very serious. No living thing has
stronger affection for its young than a
mother bear has, and no animal will
defend them SO desperately against
harm. But she is a strict disciplinariap,
| and does not hesitate second is
resorting to the most extreme of heroic
measures in dealing with her young
when it seems to her that the circum
stances require 1t.
The most striking illustration of this
trait of best character that | ever knew
was given once on the Sinnemahoning
Creek, in Potter county, Penn. Larry
Lyman, the famous woodsman, and
two oIher men were standing on the
bank of the creek when big she bear,
| accomDaDied nv two small cubs. came
down off the hill On the same side of
the stream, a short distance below
where the men where standing,
The old bear stopped for moment
and gazed at the men. Then she
plunged into the creek. The cubs
followed her and swan well up with
its mother, keeping almost head to
head with her. The other cub fell
little behind, but swan bravely on.
The old bear cllmed out of the water
when she reached the shore and clam.
bered up the bank, which was quite
high, and obstructed somewhat by the
projecting roots of trees. The stron.
ger of the cubs followed her without
difficulty, and trotted along in pace
with its mothers sweeping strides.
But the other little bear could not
clear the distractions on the bank