It is smaller than the other American hears, the total length of an adult seldom exceeding five feet. Its favourite food appears to be berries of various kinds, but when these are not to bo procured it preys upon roots, insects, fish, eggs, and such birds or quadrupeds as it can surprise. It does not eat animal food from choice, for when it has abundance of its favourite vegetable diet it will pass the carcass of a deer without touching it It is rather a timid animal, and will seldom face a man unless it is wounded, or has its retreat cut off, or is urged by affection to defend its young. This bear when resident in the fur countries almost invariably hybernates, and about 1000 skins are annually procured by the Hudson's Bay Company from Black Bears destroyed in their winter retreats. It generally selects a spot for its den under a fallen tree, and, having scratched away a portion of the soil, retiree to it at the commencement of a snow-storm, when the snow soon furnishes it with a close warm covering. Its breath makes a small opening in the den, and the quantity of hoar frost which occasionally gathers round the aperture serves to betray its retreat to the hunter. In more southern districts, whore the timber is of a larger size, bears often shelter themselves in hollow trees. The Indians remark that a bear never retires to its den for the winter until it has acquired a thick coat of fat; and it is remarkable that when it comes abroad in the spring it is equally fat, though in a few days thereafter it becomes very lean. The period of the retreat of the bears is generally about the time when the snow begins to lie on the ground, and they do not come abroad again until the greater part of the snow is gone. At both these periods they csm procure many kinds of berries in considerable abundance. In latitude 05° their winter repose lasts; from the beginning of October to the first or second week of May ; but on the northern shores of Lake Huron the period is from two to three mouths shorter. In very severe winters great numbers of bears have been observed to cuter the United States from tho northward. It is not however true that the Black Bears generally abandon the northern districts on the approach of winter, as has been asserted, the quantity of bear-skins procured during that season in all parts of the fur-countries being a sufficient proof to the contrary. The females bring forth about the middle of January; and it is probable that the period of their gestation is about 15 or 16 weeks, but it has not been precisely ascertained The number of cubs varies from ono to five, probably with the sac of the mother, and they begin to bear long before they attain their full size.
It will be observed that the period of gestation attributed to the Brown Bear is seven months. Cuvier says that they couple in June, and produce their young in January. Sixteen weeks is the probable time allotted to the American Black Bear for the name purpose by Sir John Richardson, from whom we give the above account, and who had the best opportunities of collecting evidence on the subject The bears kept in the fosse at Berne furnished the proof of gestation for seven months ; but it is so characteristic of the family for the females to conceal themselves, that in a state of nature little evidence to be dependecl on for its accuracy can be obtained. " No man," according to Briekell, "either Christian or 'Indian, ever killed a she-bear with young ;" and Sir John Ilichardstaa numerous inquiries among the Indians of lindeon's Ray ended in the discovery of only one hunter who had killed a pregnant bear.
The value attached to the skin of the Black Bear—a value very much decreased, for the skin that once fetched from 20 to 40 guineas is now hardly worth more than from 20 to 60 shillings—and the high esteem in which the Indiana held their flesh, mused great havoc among them. The importation into England in 1783 amounted to 10,500 skins, and ascended gradually to 25,000 in 1803, since which time there appears to have been a considerable decline, as in a table of exports and imports of skins in Great Britain, published in the Catalogue of the Great Exhibition (vol. ii., p. 529), the number of bear-skins is 9500; of these 8000 are again exported, so that the consumption in Great Britain is only 1500 annually. It is nevertheless used for military purposes in this country, as for caps, pistol-holsters, rugs, &e. It is hence called often the Army Bear.
The Black Bear is regarded with much superstition by the Indians. The following account is given by Mr. A. Henry :—" In the course of the month of January I happened to observe that the trunk of a very large pine-tree was much torn by the claws of a bear, made both in going up and down. On further examination I saw that there was a large opening in the upper part, near which the smaller branches were broken. From these marks, and from the additional circumstance that there were no tracks in the snow, there was reason to believe that a bear lay concealed in the tree. On returning to the lodge 1 commu nicated my discovery ; and it was agreed that all the family should go together in the morning to assist in cutting down the tree, the girth of which was not less than three fathoms. The women at first opposed the undertaking, because our axes being only of a pound and a half weight were not well adapted to so heavy a labour ; but the hope of finding a large bear, and obtaining from its fat a great quantity of oil, an article at the time much wanted, at length prevailed. Accordingly in the morning we surrounded the tree, both men and women, as many at a time as could conveniently work at it ; and there we toiled like beavers till the sun went down.. This day's work carried us about halfway through the trunk, and the next morning we renewed the attack, continuing it till about two o'clock in the afternoon, when the tree fell to the ground. For a few minutes everything remained quiet, and I feared that all our expectations would be disappointed ; but as I advanced to the opening there came out, to the great satis faction of all our party, a bear of extraordinary size, which I shot. The bear being dead all my assistants approached, and all, but parti cularly my old mother (as I was wont to call her), took the head in their hands, stroking and kissing it several times ; begging a thousand pardons for taking away her life ; calling her their relation and grand mother ; and requesting her not to lay the fault upon them, since it was truly an Englishman that had put her to death. This ceremony was not of long duration, and if it was I that killed their grandmother they were not themselves beltindhand in what remained to be per formed. The skin being taken off, we found the fat in several places six inches deep. This being divided into two parts loaded two per sons, and the flesh-parts were as much as four persons could carry. In all, the carcass must have exceeded five hundred-weight. As soon as we reached the lodge the bear's head was adorned with all the trinkets in the possession of the family, such as silver arm-bands, and wrist-bands, and belts of wampum, and then laid upon a scaffold set up for its reception within the lodge. Near the nose was placed a large quantity of tobacco. The next morning no sooner appeared than preparations were made for a feast to the manes. The lodge was cleaned and swept, and the head of the bear lifted up,.and a new Stroud blanket which had never been used before spread under it. The pipes were now lit, and Wawatam blew tobacco-smoke into the nostrils of the bear, telling me to do the same, and thus appease the anger of the bear on account of my having killed her. I endeavoured to peril rade my benefactor and friendly adviser that she no longer had any life, and assured him that I was under no apprehension from her displeasure ; but the first proposition obtained no credit, and the second gave but little satisfaction. At length the feast being ready, Wawatam made a speech resembling in many respects his address to the manes of his relations and departed companions ; but having this peculiarity, that he here deplored the necessity under which men laboured thus to destroy their friends. He represented however that the misfortune was unavoidable, since without doing so they could by no means subsist. The speech ended, we all ate heartily of the bear's flesh ; and even the head itself, after remaining three days on the scaffold, was put into the kettle." The Cinnamon Bear is a variety of this species. There is a specimen in the Zoological Gardens, Regent's Park, which was presented in 1829, HO that be is now at least 24 years old. His mate died in 1849. The Yellow Bear of Carolina, and the Ours Gulaire (Unica gularis of Geoffrey), with a white throat, are also varieties.