Little dost thou think, thou busy, busy bee, When the latest flowers of the ivy are gone, Woe then for thee, thou busy, busy bee! THE grizzly bear is the largest and most formidable of the quadrupeds of California. He grows to be four feet high and seven feet long, with a weight, when very large and fat, of two thousand pounds, being the largest of the carnivorous animals, and much heavier than the lion or tiger ever get to be, but ordinarily does not exceed eight or nine hundred pounds in weight. In colour the body is a light greyish-brown, dark brown about the ears and along the ridge of the back, and nearly black on the legs. The hair is long, coarse, and wiry, and stiff on the top of the neck and between the shoulders. The "grizzly," as he is usually called, is more common in California than any other kind of bear, and was at one time exceedingly numerous for so large an animal; but he offered so much meat for the hunters, and did so much damage to the farmers, that he has been industriously hunted, and his numbers have been greatly reduced. He ranges throughout the State, but prefers to make his home in the chaparral or bushes, whereas the black bear likes the heavy timber. The grizzly is very tenacious of life, and he is seldom immediately killed by a single bullet. single bullet. His thick, wiry hair, tough skin, heavy coats of fat when in good condition, and large bones, go far to protect his vital organs; but he often seems to preserve all his strength and activity for an hour or more after having been shot through the lungs and liver with large rifle balls. He is one of the most dangerous animals to attack. There is much probability that when shot he will not be killed outright. When merely wounded he is ferocious; his weight and strength are so great that he bears down all opposition before him; and he is very quick, his speed in running being nearly equal to that of the horse. In attacking a man, he usually rises on his hind legs, strikes his enemy with one of his powerful fore-paws, and then commences to bite him. If the man lies still with his face down, the bear will usually content himself with biting him for a while about the arms and legs, then go off a few steps, and after watching him a short time, will go away. But let the man move, and the bear is upon him again; let him fight, and he will be in imminent * danger of being torn to pieces. About half a dozen men, on an average, are killed yearly in California by grizzly bears, and as many more are cruelly mutilated. Fortunately the grizzly bear is not disposed to attack man, and never makes the first assault, unless driven by hunger or maternal anxiety. The dam will attack any man who comes near her cubs, and on this account it is dangerous to go in the early summer afoot through chaparral where bears make their home. Usually a grizzly will get out of the way when he sees or hears a man, and sometimes, but rarely, will run when wounded. It is said that grizzlies, in seasons of scarcity, used to break into the huts of the Indians and eat them. No instance of this kind, however, has been reported for some years past. The greater portion of the food of the grizzly is vegetable, such as grass, clover, berries, acorns, and roots. The manzanita, service, salmon, and whortleberries, are all favourites with him. The roots which he eats are of many different species, and it was from him that we learned the existence of a Californian truffle, very similar to the European tuber of the same name. The grizzly is very fond of fresh pork, at least after he knows its taste, which he soon learns if swine come within his reach. The farmers in those districts where the bears are abundant shut up their hogs every night in corrals or pens, surrounded by very strong and high fences, which the bears frequently tear down. After having killed a hog, if any part of the carcase is left, the grizzly will return at night and feast upon the remains until it becomes putrid. He prefers, however, the fresh pork, if it can be had. Not unfrequently the grizzly discovers the carcases of deer, elk, and antelope, killed by hunters, who have gone off after horses to carry their game home. In such cases the hunter usually finds little left for him when he gets back. They do not like climbing, and rarely attempt to ascend trees. The grizzly, though he often moves about, and feeds in the day, prefers the night, and almost invariably selects it as the time for approaching houses, as he often does, in search of food. The cub is one of the most playful, good-humoured, and amusing of animals. He will tumble somersaults, sit up on his haunches and box, and in some of his pranks will show a humour and intelligence scarcely inferior to that of very young children. The grizzly may easily be tamed, and it becomes very fond of its master. Adams, the Californian mountaineer and bear-hunter, trained several grizzlies so that they accompanied him in his hunting excursions, defended him against wild animals, and carried burdens for him. The meat of the young grizzly resembles pork in texture and taste, exceeding it in juiciness and greasiness; but the meat of the old he-bear is extremely strong, and to delicate stomachs it is nauseating. fòr-mid-a-ble, fearsome, fright- ten-á-cious, holding firmly to lit. projecting as-sault' (as-sõlt), attack, sudden |