The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1901-12-22

UJFE BLACK BEAR has an appe-
lite that may be appropriately
termed elastic He viii Kill a
steer or capture a tiny field mouse
with equal Indifference. II a pig or =
sheep Is not handy he will dine on n
colony OF ants or a nest OF wood grubs.
he will feast on dainty birds eggs Of
sweet stores Of Wild honey and on
carrion with equal gusto He will FISH
FOR the savory trout, but at the same
time grab up any warty toad or shiny
lizard that may happen along. He
will seek the luscious wild plum
when il ripens or the wild grape
where the vine chambers ana twines
among the branches Of its friendly
tree. but will not miss the opportunity
10 make food Of any snake that may
be living there in ambush for birds
coming 20 peck at the tempting fruit
The bear has a comprehensive palate.
There IS scarcely a thing in the ami
mai or vegetable kingdoms that viii
not tickle f.
Likes the Eggs Of Birds.
u seems odd that a huge animal like
the bear. able 10 skin a sheep or TO
slaughter a pig or steer as handily
as "a butcher might. shonld bother IL
self about tiny and inert larvae or the
fragile eggs OF a bird but the bear
does There Is nothing more awkward
looking than the bear in motion. The
peculiarly clumsy and apparently
painful gait the black bear has is due
90 his unique anatomical structure
He has no clavicles in the shoulders
TO keep the shoulder blades steadily
apart. as is usual I'm quadrupeds. and
consequently. when he moves his fore
legs tine shoulder blades work or slide
loosely on the sides. Then, again the
bear has his ankle joints Of the hind
leg plumb on the ground. or rather.
they are part of the hind feet This
structure gives the first joint OF the
hind legs a bend in a direction oppo-
site 10 that which II has in other
Qua5rupeds. This loose and queer
ric-sug OF the joints of the legs and
shoulders gives the bear that peculiar
wohhle or shuttle with which he
makes his way The broad base which
the foot OF the bear forms gives him
q steady and secure footing. no mat
ter what the appearance Is to the
contrary. The peculiar location OF the
ankle Joint at the hind feet is what
enables the bear TO get up on those
feet so readily and maintain a secure
position there while he uses his fore
paws In grasping or striking With a
deadly facility well known and dread
ei by all bear hunters. Il is the alb
sence OF clavicles in his shoulders that
gives the bear the great constructive
power In his fore legs. which is not
only of the greatest service 20 him in
climbing hut In dealing with assail-
ants In fact IL he had the usual
clavicles he could not climb a tree at
an. and the aggressive bear dog would
need 20 have no fear OF his terrible
embrace The grizzly bear In bulk
three times the weight of the black
bear. Is not loose jointed like the latter.
He cannot climb a tree; neither has
h. Tho means of upright defense and
ohense the black bear has II the griz.
xiv were constructed after the fashion
~ his smaller cousin he would be a
-stin greater terror than he is. 4 500
pound black bear will leave a bigger
track ia the mud than a t.00opound
grizzly.
AS a Slack Wire Performer.
50 there is nothing more awkward
looking than a black bear I'm motion
with his hulking ungainly gait. SLOUGH
Ing along as IL he could make no head
way unless he had a wide field "a
swing himself is But the most eN
pert slack wire performer cannot sI
pass the graceful, Surefooted poise Of
q bear as he makes his nonchalaut .
way cut on the hough OF tree. where
ht has located a birds nest. from /,
which he is bent on taking the eggs. /
He picks the delicate little things /
from their cup-like depository as deft |
"a as my ladys taper fingers lit the |
boubon from its satin-lined box he