up following the tracks。 He almost ran into the man； and was evidently
not in a good temper； for he growled and blustered； and two or three
times made feints of charging； before he finally concluded to go off。
Bears will occasionally visit hunters' or lumberman's camps； in the
absence of the owners； and play sad havoc with all that therein is；
devouring everything eatable； especially if sweet； and trampling into
a dirty mess whatever they do not eat。 The black bear does not average
much more than a third the size of the grisly； but； like all its kind；
it varies greatly in weight。 The largest I myself ever saw weighed was
in Maine； and tipped the scale at 346 pounds； but I have a perfectly
authentic record of one in Maine that weighed 397； and my friend； Dr。
Hart Merriam； tells me that he has seen several in the Adirondacks
that when killed weighed about 350。
I have myself shot but one or two black bears； and these were obtained
under circumstances of no special interest； as I merely stumbled on
them while after other game； and killed them before they had a chance
either to run or show fight。
CHAPTER III。
OLD EPHRAIM； THE GRISLY BEAR。
The king of the game beasts of temperate North America； because the
most dangerous to the hunter； is the grisly bear； known to the few
remaining old…time trappers of the Rockies and the Great Plains；
sometimes as 〃Old Ephraim〃 and sometimes as 〃Moccasin Joe〃the last
in allusion to his queer； half…human footprints； which look as if made
by some mishapen giant； walking in moccasins。
Bear vary greatly in size and color； no less than in temper and
habits。 Old hunters speak much of them in their endless talks over the
camp fires and in the snow…bound winter huts。 They insist on many
species； not merely the black and the grisly but the brown； the
cinnamon； the gray； the silver…tip； and others with names known only
in certain localities； such as the range bear； the roach…back； and the
smut…face。 But； in spite of popular opinion to the contrary； most old
hunters are very untrustworthy in dealing with points of natural
history。 They usually know only so much about any given animal as will
enable them to kill it。 They study its habits solely with this end in
view； and once slain they only examine it to see about its condition
and fur。 With rare exceptions they are quite incapable of passing
judgment upon questions of specific identity or difference。 When
questioned； they not only advance perfectly impossible theories and
facts in support of their views； but they rarely even agree as to the
views themselves。 One hunter will assert that the true grisly is only
found in California； heedless of the fact that the name was first used
by Lewis and Clarke as one of the titles they applied to the large
bears of the plains country round the Upper Missouri； a quarter of a
century before the California grisly was known to fame。 Another hunter
will call any big brindled bear a grisly no matter where it is found；
and he and his companions will dispute by the hour as to whether a
bear of large； but not extreme； size is a grisly or a silver…tip。 In
Oregon the cinnamon bear is a phase of the small black bear； in
Montana it is the plains variety of the large mountain silver…tip。 I
have myself seen the skins of two bears killed on the upper waters of
Tongue River； one was that of a male； one of a female； and they had
evidently just mated； yet one was distinctly a 〃silver…tip〃 and the
other a 〃cinnamon。〃 The skin of one very big bear which I killed in
the Bighorn has proved a standing puzzle to almost all the old hunters
to whom I have showed it； rarely do any two of them agree as to
whether it is a grisly； a silver…tip； a cinnamon； or a 〃smut…face。〃
Any bear with unusually long hair on the spine and shoulders；
especially if killed in the spring； when the fur is shaggy； is
forthwith dubbed a 〃roach…back。〃 The average sporting writer moreover
joins with the more imaginative members of the 〃old hunter〃 variety in
ascribing wildly various traits to these different bears。 One comments
on the superior prowess of the roach…back； the explanation being that
a bear in early spring is apt to be ravenous from hunger。 The next
insists that the California grisly is the only really dangerous bear；
while another stoutly maintains that it does not compare in ferocity
with what he calls the 〃smaller〃 silver…tip or cinnamon。 And so on；
and so on； without end。 All of which is mere nonsense。
Nevertheless it is no easy task to determine how many species or
varieties of bear actually do exist in the United States； and I cannot
even say without doubt that a very large set of skins and skulls would
not show a nearly complete intergradation between the most widely
separated individuals。 However； there are certainly two very distinct
types； which differ almost as widely from each other as a wapiti does
from a mule deer； and which exist in the same localities in most
heavily timbered portions of the Rockies。 One is the small black bear；
a bear which will average about two hundred pounds weight； with fine；
glossy； black fur； and the fore…claws but little longer than the
hinder ones； in fact the hairs of the fore…paw often reach to their
tips。 This bear is a tree climber。 It is the only kind found east of
the great plains； and it is also plentiful in the forest…clad portions
of the Rockies； being common in most heavily timbered tracts
throughout the United States。 The other is the grisly； which weighs
three or four times as much as the black； and has a pelt of coarse
hair； which is in color gray； grizzled； or brown of various shades。 It
is not a tree climber； and the fore…claws are very long； much longer
than the hinder ones。 It is found from the great plains west of the
Mississippi to the Pacific coast。 This bear inhabits indifferently
lowland and mountain； the deep woods； and the barren plains where the
only cover is the stunted growth fringing the streams。 These two types
are very distinct in every way； and their differences are not at all
dependent upon mere geographical considerations； for they are often
found in the same district。 Thus I found them both in the Bighorn
Mountains； each type being in extreme form； while the specimens I shot
showed no trace of intergradation。 The huge grizzled； long…clawed
beast； and its little glossy…coated； short…clawed； tree…climbing
brother roamed over exactly the same country in those mountains； but
they were as distinct in habits； and mixed as little together as moose
and caribou。
On the other hand； when a sufficient number of bears； from widely
separated regions are examined； the various distinguishing marks are
found to be inconstant and to show a tendencyexactly how strong I
cannot sayto fade into one another。 The differentiation of the two
species seems to be as yet scarcely completed； there are more or less
imperfect connecting links； and as regards the grisly it almost seems
as if the specific character were still unstable。 In the far
northwest； in the basin of the Columbia the 〃black〃 bear is as often
brown as any other color； and I have seen the skins of two cubs； one
black and one brown； which were shot when following the same dam。 When
these brown bears have coarser hair than usual their skins are with
difficulty to be distinguished from those of certain varieties of the
grisly。 Moreover； all bears vary greatly in size； and I have seen the
bodies of very large black or brown bears with short fore…claws which
were fully as heavy as； or perhaps heavier than； some small but full…
grown grislies with long fore…claws。 These very large bears with short
claws are very reluctant to climb a tree； and are almost as clumsy
about it as is a young grisly。 Among the grislies the fur varies much
in color and texture even among bears of the same locality； it is of
course richest in the deep forest； while the bears of the dry plains
and mountains are of a lighter； more washed…out hue。
A full grown grisly will usually weigh from five to seven hundred
pounds； but exceptional individuals undoubtedly reach more than twelve
hundredweight。 The California bears are said to be much the largest。
This I think is so； but I cannot say it with certaintyat any rate I
have examined several skins of full…grown California bears which were
no larger than many I have seen from the northern Rockies。 The Alaskan
bears； particularly those of the peninsula； are even bigger beasts；
the skin of one which I saw in the possession of Mr。 Webster； the
taxidermist； was a good deal larger than the average polar bear skin；
and the animal when alive； if in good condition； could hardly have
weighed less than 1；400 pounds。＇*＇ Bears vary wonderfully in weight；
even to the extent of becoming half as heavy again； according as they
are fat or lean； in this respect they are more like hogs than like any
other animals。
＇*＇ Both this huge Alaskan bear and the entirely distinct bear of the
barren grounds differ widely from the true grisly； at least in
their extreme forms。
The grisly is now chiefly a beast of the high hills and heavy timber；
but this is merely