The times., 1898-09-10
ABOUT BEARS.
Some of the Singuiarities of the
Bruin. Roth Wild and Tame
(From Forest and stream.)

(FTOm Forest ana StrtaN.J
used 10 have a dear friend. Mr.. Henry
CIapp, of Brownville. Me-. who IN many
rasnects was like Mr. MatheT's friend.
Port TYLER. Once when l visited his place
TO get him TO take woods cruise with me
he had two young bears. which he had
taken in the Spring, and whose actions ne
had been carefully studying. He told me
that he had often led them TO the woods
and watched them obtain various kinds
of food. He said that in picking rasp-
berries they stood up and drew the
bushes towards them with their paws, but
picked the berries with their mouths. a
hunter of my acquaintance told me of
seeing one pick berries in the same way.
l once. In coming around a turn in mar
row stream in a canoe came suddenly
upon a bear engaged in picking black,
shiny berry commonly known as bear
berries The bear did not wait for me to
take any observations. but IL was plainly
10 be seen that the bushes, which reached
over the water, he had drawn with his
paws. I have often seen where they have
been gathering beech-nuts before they
fell: they would draw one fork of a limb
towards them and split it off. and then
reach out and draw in the other fork.
often breaking limbs two inches or more
through.
Mr.. CIapp told me that his bears
showed a great deal of judgment in catch
zig ants They did not tear a stump or
log to pieces at random but on finding
q log which looked likely they would
strike it hard with a paw, and lay an ear
close 10 the side. II there were no ants
there they left it, but If they could hear
the ants running along their passageways
tbey would at once tear the log in pieces
and quickly run their tongues along the
grooves. and catch many or the ants be-
fore they had time TO scatter. He said
that they were extremely quick in their
movements while any ants were In sight.
/ had the pleasure of seeing these
bears eat their first green corn. They
had never seen corn before. and when a
husked ear was given one he turned it
over and over, and looked curious.y at it,
very much as a coon will look at a
strange thing. Then he held il with one
paw and scratched 1t lengthwise with
the other On seeing the milk start tfor
the corn had not hardened, he carefully
lapped It, and as soon as he got the
taste of It. ne ate II very much as a pig
would have done. saw one eat freshly
cut oats He held bunch with one paw
and Iet the heads drop between the spread
claws of the other paw. as person
would between his fingers. and then, shut
ting the claws, stripped the heads off
| and conveyed them to his mouth.
Mr.. Clapp told me often of seeing
| them do a thing which i had never known
| auy one to see done by wild bear. but
| which they are undoubtedly in the habit
| of doing or else these would not have
| done 1t. They would climb a tree which
| had a limb running out at right angles.
| and walk out on the limb, then would
| lower themselves down by their forepaws
and bite hold of the limb and swing back
| and forth, holding by their teeth. Then
| they would catch with their paws and
draw themselves up. They would repeat
| this performance great many times.