hunting the grisly and other sketches-第8章

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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　because　he　has　learned　that　he　must　rely　on　cover
to　guard　him　from　man；　and　has　forsaken　the　open　ground　accordingly。
In　old　days；　and　in　one　or　two　very　out…of…the…way　places　almost　to
the　present　time；　he　wandered　at　will　over　the　plains。　It　is　only　the
wariness　born　of　fear　which　nowadays　causes　him　to　cling　to　the　thick
brush　of　the　large　river…bottoms　throughout　the　plains　country。　When
there　were　no　rifle…bearing　hunters　in　the　land；　to　harass　him　and
make　him　afraid；　he　roved　thither　and　thither　at　will；　in　burly　self…
confidence。　Then　he　cared　little　for　cover；　unless　as　a　weather…break；
or　because　it　happened　to　contain　food　he　liked。　If　the　humor　seized
him　he　would　roam　for　days　over　the　rolling　or　broken　prairie；
searching　for　roots；　digging　up　gophers；　or　perhaps　following　the
great　buffalo　herds　either　to　prey　on　some　unwary　straggler　which　he
was　able　to　catch　at　a　disadvantage　in　a　washout；　or　else　to　feast　on
the　carcasses　of　those　which　died　by　accident。　Old　hunters；　survivors
of　the　long…vanished　ages　when　the　vast　herds　thronged　th