yesterday, but, having been up all night trying the strength of his
new house, he declined to stand up, and paid but little attention to
the crowd. His chain had been fastened to the bars of his cage with
three half hitches and a knot, and the knot was held in place by a
piece of wire. During the night he removed the wire, untied all the
knots and half hitches and hauled the chain inside, where nobody
could meddle with it. Having the chain all to himself, Monarch was
indifferent to his visitors and lazily stretched himself on his back,
with one arm thrown back over his head.
He had a good appetite yesterday and got away with a leg of lamb and a
lot of bread and apples. He ate a little too heartily and had the
symptoms of fever. Today he will not get so much food. The best time
to see him is when he eats, because he lies down all other times of
the day. He has breakfast at 10 a. m., lunch at 1 p. m. and dinner at
3 p. m.
Monarch still looks travelworn and thin, but he is brightening up, and
when the abrasions of the skin, made by ropes and chains, are healed
up and his hair grown again on the bare spots he will be more
presentable. His broken teeth trouble him some and it will be some
time before he will feel as well as he did before he was caught.
Several artists went to Woodward's Gardens today to sketch and
photograph the bear, but he refused to pose, so they did not get the
best results. It would be unwise to stir him up and excite him at
present, and unless the artists can catch him at his meals they will
have to wait a little while for a chance to study the grizzly under
favorable conditions.
Sculptor Rupert Schmidt has made an excellent model in clay of
Monarch, which will be a valuable assistance in designs requiring the
introduction of the California emblem.
Mr. Schmidt said:
"I am very glad to have the opportunity to study the real grizzly, and
I find him very different from the models generally accepted. I have
modeled many bears, but never one like this. You see in this design
some figures of bears (showing a wax model of decorative capitals).
These were intended to be grizzlies, but you see they have the Roman
nose, which is characteristic of the black bear. No other bear that I
ever saw had the broad forehead and strong, straight nose of the
grizzly. He has a magnificent head, and I think all artists will be
glad of a chance to study him. I have inquired for grizzlies in
zoölogical gardens all over the world, but never found one before."
Monarch has a big, intelligent-looking head and a kindly eye, and is
not disposed to quarrel with visitors, but he objects to any meddling
with his chain, and will not submit to any insults. It was necessary
yesterday to keep a watchman between the cage and the crowd to prevent
people from throwing things at the bear and stirring him up. Monarch
is getting along very well and taking his troubles quite
philosophically; but he has had a rough experience, is worn out with
fighting and worry, is sore in body and spirit and needs rest. It is a
difficult thing to keep alive in captivity a wild bear of his age, and
undue excitement might throw him into a fatal fever. If
Superintendent Ohnimus succeeds in his efforts to cure the Monarch of
his bruises and put him into good condition, he will deserve great
credit, and the visitors are requested not to make the task more
difficult by worrying the captive. No other zoölogical garden in the
world has a California grizzly, and it would be a great loss to the
menagerie to be established in the Park if the Monarch should die.
It is not surprising that many people cannot tell a grizzly bear, even
when they see one, as many zoölogists even differ widely in regard to
the characteristics of the king of bears. It is astonishing how little
is really known in regard to the grizzly bear. Many text-books contain
only a general notice of the great animal, while those naturalists who
have written descriptions of him do by no means agree. This is due to
their lack of specimens. The grizzly is so powerful and unyielding a
beast that but few have been captured alive. There have not been
individuals enough of the species studied to admit of their being
fully generalized. Different naturalists described the grizzly from
the single specimen that came within their notice, and hence their
various descriptions are far apart. It is a fact that hardly two of
the animals taken are exactly alike in color or habits.
In order to definitely settle the question, Prof. Walter E. Bryant, of
the Academy of Sciences, was yesterday induced to visit the bear. He
has made the mammals of the Pacific Coast his study for years, and
probably knows more than anyone else about California bears.
He examined Monarch very carefully, noted his every point, and then
examined just as carefully the other bears at the gardens.
When he had completed his investigation and stood once more before
Monarch's cage, he was asked:
"Well, what is he?"
"He is a true grizzly bear," answered Professor Bryant, and he added,
"a mighty big one, too.
"I never before saw one of the animals with as dark a coat as his," he
continued; "but that is nothing. The bear is a true grizzly, and has
all the characteristics of one. As far as his color is concerned,
grizzlies are of all colors; there is almost as much variety in that
regard among bears as among dogs."
"How do you know it is a grizzly?" was asked.
"Well, in the first place, the claws on his forefeet are longer and
stronger than those of any other species. Then his head is larger than
that of other bears, and his muzzle is longer and heavier. Another and
more distinguishing feature is the height of his shoulders. Just back
of his neck is the tallest point. From there his back slopes down
towards his haunches. The black bear, on the other hand, has low
shoulders, and is tallest at a point rather back of the middle of the
body. There are numerous other means of distinguishing this bear. His
teeth are very much larger and stronger than those of the others, and
the entire structure of the skull is peculiar to the grizzly. He has
neither the short muzzle of the European bear such as you see in the
pit, nor the rounded muzzle of the black bear. There are, of course,
many minor points that only a naturalist would observe, but it is
sufficient to say that he lacks none of the essential qualities of the
grizzly bear, and has none of those of the other varieties.
"His coat is almost black, to be sure, but it is very different from
the glossy black of his neighbor. If you observe the grizzly's hair,
you will see that a great deal of it is a rusty brown and in certain
lights seems to be very far from black. This variation in the color of
the hair is a peculiar characteristic of the grizzly. That lanky mane
is another. His legs, you observe, are darker than his body. This is
another characteristic of the California grizzly.
"This animal is thin now, doubtless from the hard time he had while he
was being brought here. When he gets fat his hair will have a very
different appearance. It will be interesting to watch him when he
sheds his hair. The coat that comes after may be altogether of another
color. That grizzly, I should say, is comparatively a young bear, and
when he gets older the gray that originally gave him his name will
very likely be pronounced."
THE END.
SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION OF BEARS.
EDITED BY PIERRE N. BERINGER.
I.
THE LOUISIANA SPECTACLED BEAR.
_Tremarctos Ornatus._
Some of our scientists have very carefully divided the _Genus Ursus_
into _twelve_ species. While I will admit that these gentlemen are
conscientious and that they are thorough in their researches, I wish
to point to the fact that they have entirely overlooked three or four
species found on the Pacific Coast.
Many writers have completely ignored the spectacled bear of Louisiana.
Is he the representative of another genus? Does he belong to the
_Genus Helarctos_ (_helios_, the "sun," and _arctos_, "bear") credited
by the majority of writers with basking in the sun, or because of the
peculiar markings of his chest, representing a sunburst? He resembles
the _Helarctos Malayanus_ of the Malayan archipelago or the _Bruang_
of Java. Or is he the Sloth Bear, _Prochilous_ (or _Melursus_)
_labiatus_? This bear has been carefully classified as a separate
genus found from the Ganges to Ceylon. His description fits rather
loosely the so-called sloth of Louisiana. Possibly the Louisiana
specimen is of the _Genus Tremarctos_, of which the learned people
tell us there is but a solitary species carefully isolated in the
Andes of Chile and Peru. I shall call the Louisiana specimen by the
name given him by our poet, the Spectacled Bear, _Tremarctos Ornatus_,
and the professors who have entirely overlooked his existence may
classify him later when they find time. At one time the Honey Bear was
classified as a "Bradipus," or sloth, because of its liability to lose
its incisors. It was therefore set down as one of the _Edentata_. It
has also been styled the Jungle Bear, the Lipped Bear, and names as
various as the investigators' fancy. The _Tremarctos Ornatus_ of
Louisiana, or spectacled bear, is not a sloth. He does not belong to
the _Edentata_, neither is he lazy. He is essentially the clown of
all bears, a very intelligent animal, and in many cases the
intellectual superior of his keeper. He is active to a degree, and
will perform the queerest antics for the amusement of the onlooker. He
is quaintly conscious of his mirth-provoking powers, much as a child
playing "smarty." He will quickly climb an inclined log or tree, and
then slide down either in an upright position, clasping the log with
the knees, or he will slide "down the banister" as a child might. I
have seen the merry fellow grab his tail in his mouth and roll over
and over until dizzy.
His snout is almost hairless, narrow and proboscis like, and the
nostrils and lips are mobile. He shapes these almost into a pipe,
through which his long tongue is shot out, drawing things in or
sucking them up. It has claws of a bluish gray that are longer than
those of any other of the Ursidae. The hair is very long, of a deep
brown black. There is a sunburst upon the chest of a white or fulvous
hue. The ears are small and scarcely distinguishable, owing to the
shaggy mane. The fur is rather coarse and very long.
It lives mainly upon honey and vegetables and sugar cane. In captivity
it will very gratefully subsist upon oatmeal and occasional sweets.
The animal is easily tamed, and will become attached to its keeper,
giving an exhibition of exuberant joy at his approach. It is a jolly
good fellow, and shows a marked preference for liquors, refusing all
others when it may have champagne.
It will sit on its hind legs and make faces at the onlooker, waving
its arms in the most grotesque fashion, while it rolls its body from
side to side. This is one of the characteristics that has impressed
the negro with the sacredness of this "Voodoo Bear."
II.
THE GRIZZLY.
_Ursus Horribilis or Ferox._
This is the great grizzly of California, whose habits have been
described by many writers. It is a shy animal, not nearly as ferocious
as has been claimed. "It will always run away if it can," says General
Dodge, "and never attacks unless it is cornered or wounded." Johnson
says "the grizzly is the king of all our animals, and can destroy by
blows from his paws the powerful bison of the plains; wolves will not
even touch the carcass of the dreaded monster, and, it is said, stand
in such awe that they refrain from molesting deer that he has slain.
Horses also require careful training before they can be taught to
allow its hide to be placed upon their backs."
In the beautiful legend of the Good Poet the grizzly is the forefather
of the Indian, and the Indian gives many proofs to show his descent
from the grizzly and the Spirit of the Mountain. I want to add a
curious fact: The grizzly is the only one of the Ursidae that moves
his toes and fingers independently of one another just like a _man_.
Also the bear walks with his foot full upon the ground. In further
proof the grizzly, when young, and all other bears, except one,
descend a tree backward and head up, as a man would. The clown bear,
or spectacled bear, will sometimes descend head down and enjoy a good
laugh over it. At least he seems to laugh. After the grizzly has
attained bulk and weight with age, he cannot climb trees, as his claws
are not strong enough to sustain his weight.
A short time after "Monarch," the large grizzly, arrived in San
Francisco, my model, a very considerate young person, who loved all
animals, came to the studio one day with the story that she had made
friends with the great beast. It was about the time when "Monarch" was
being starved. He had been removed from the pit to the cage. With
very little forethought the cage was built without a cover, and
"Monarch" was found one night making an attempt to escape. He was
prodded back with red-hot irons. It was not possible to work about the
cage, and "Monarch" must be confined in smaller quarters. A very small
cage was dropped into the enclosure; this had a slide door and was to
serve as a trap. I believe the grizzly is the quickest of all animals.
Six times a live chicken was fastened in the small cage, and six times
"Monarch's" long arm had literally "swiped" that fowl. So quick was he
that the slide fell only as he was already safely crunching its bones.
At the seventh attempt he was a little slow and was caught. After that
the iron workers placed the roof in position. The trapping of the
monster took six days, and "Monarch" received only the food he managed
to get from the trap, and that which my tender-hearted model was
feeding him (apples and candy) surreptitiously. As this was against
the orders of the keeper, the young woman could feed the bear only at
irregular intervals. She continued her kindnesses to him after he had
been again given the freedom of the larger cage. Then she went away
from the city. She was gone for two years. She married and assumed the
rotund proportions of a staid matron, and when next I saw her I joked
her about this, saying that she was nearly as fat as her old friend
"Monarch."
At this she was indignant. "Indeed," she said, "animals are less
forgetful than man, and 'Monarch' undoubtedly will remember me, even
if I am not the slim artist's model I once was." I told her "Monarch"
was far too much like a man, and that he was now satisfied to look
upon the world as well lost, and that short of his dinner there was
little that could move him from a comfortable position upon his back,
his toes in the air, apparently content, and like a philosopher,
wondering why the human displays so much curiosity. "I'll bet he won't
stir," I said. The upshot of this conversation was that we found
ourselves just outside the railing gazing at his lazy majesty. He
rolled his head slowly from side to side, eyeing each newcomer with
his bead-like eyes. Suddenly the lady in the case said, "Oh, you dear
old darling!" "Monarch" seemed electrified; he rose as quickly as
possible--certainly he had grown fat--and then he rushed to the side
of the cage. He was not satisfied with looking at her from his
ordinary standpoint, but rose upon his feet, extending himself his
entire height, that he might better look upon the friend of times of
trouble. She held up an apple. "Monarch" dropped to his feet, placed
his snout as far out as the bars allowed, and opened his immense jaws.
She threw the apple, and the bear sat himself down contentedly to chew
it. I firmly believe that young woman could have walked into the cage
with an apron full of apples and escaped without injury. "Monarch"
remembered his friend.
III.
THE POLAR BEAR.
_Thalassarctos Maritimus._
Much uncertainty prevails respecting the generic classification of the
bears. Wallace has divided them into five genera or subgenera, and
fifteen species. Wood gives eighteen, and Gray says twelve. The
appearance of the bear at different seasons has led to much error in
classification. The practical mountaineer will tell you of some three
or four species in California that have been given notice of as the
young of another species, or that have never been mentioned by the
learned gentlemen who usually study bear life in the seclusion of a
library or with the help of a strong field telescope. A glance at the
teeth of the bear will tell you that they incline rather to the
vegetable diet. Their ferocity is almost always exaggerated. Their
courage is desperate in self-defense, but it is seldom that they
become the aggressor. The brain of the bear is very highly developed,
and they soon learn all kinds of accomplishments. The lion is an
uncouth boor in comparison.
The Polar Bear, _Thalassarctos Maritimus_, is the only representative
of the genus. He is an almost wholly carnivorous animal, his food
consisting of fishes and seals, which he skillfully captures. He can
swim better than any other bear, and has been known to swim a strait
forty miles wide. The fur is silver white tinged with yellow. This
color is variable in specimens, and according to the seasons. The head
is much smaller than that of the grizzly or black bear, and is
ferret-like, with a decided downward curve to the nose. The nose does
not possess the flexibility of that of the rest of the bear family,
although the polar bear has the higher development of the sense of
smell. Johnson says that the flesh is good to eat, but other writers
do not agree with him. Kane was poisoned by eating of the liver. In
speaking of a capture De Vere wrote as follows: "We dressed her
liver and ate it, which in taste liked us well, but it made us all
sick * * * for all their skins came off, from the foot to the head,
but they recovered again, for which we gave God hearty thanks." Hall
says that the Eskimos of Cumberland Sound likewise believe the liver
to be poisonous, even for the dogs. Ross says all who partook of the
meat suffered from severe headaches, and later the skin peeled from
the body. Greely says his party largely lived upon the meat, and that
it was coarse, tough, the fat having a decidedly rank flavor.
I believe that the physiognomist may follow the characteristics of an
animal by his facial expression, and that with the aid of a knowledge
of the cranial development he can gauge the mental caliber of the
beast. Following this system and adding to it the testimony of
credible explorers, it is quickly shown that the polar bear is
treacherous and intractable. While he is not the wise animal the
grizzly is, he is more cunning and is certainly not a coward.
There are times when he is not content with being let alone, but will
take the aggressive. Greely writes: "Doctor Copeland was surprised
only fifty yards from the ship by a bear which broke from a barrier of
ice hummocks, galloped up to within five paces, reared up and struck
him down with both forepaws. Copeland had no time to load his gun, but
as the animal caught his clothes, he swung the butt across his snout.
This and the noise of approaching comrades put the bear to flight, and
he started off with the swinging gallop peculiar with him."
The mother bear and cubs display a great fondness for one another.
Koldeway says: "No sooner did the young ones perceive the hunter than
they galloped toward their mother, who in two strides turned and stood
by them, with such rage expressed in all her actions that we knew we
must be careful. Finding, however, that they were unhurt, she seemed
to think only of bringing them to a place of safety."
Some authorities have it that only the she bear hibernates and that
the male continues in the active exercise of all his faculties. Ross
weighed a polar bear which tipped the scales at 1,131 pounds; Lyon saw
one which weighed 1,600 pounds; Dr. Neale tells of one measuring
eleven feet exclusive of the tail. Senator Wm. P. Frye has the skin of
one, presented to him by an explorer, which measures nine feet seven
inches exclusive of the tail of two inches. Its girth around the body
just back of the forelegs is ten feet.
IV.
THE CINNAMON BEAR.
_Ursus Cinnamoneous._
The Cinnamon Bear has been called a variety of black bear. I am
inclined to believe it a separate genus. The head has many points of
difference. It is wider. The eyes are set deeper, and closer together.
There is a better breadth of brain. The feet are smaller. The fur is
rather longer than that of the black bear and much softer. The color
is dark chestnut, and as the bear ages there is an occasional gray
hair. The cinnamon is more dignified than the black bear, and he also
remembers an injury longer. A baby cinnamon was captured by a friend
of mine and brought to the city. A chain was placed about its neck,
and this was attached to a peg that was hammered in the ground. As
soon as I heard of the coming of his bearship I hurried over and made
his acquaintance. He ate a quart of milk soaked into as much bread as
it would hold, and enjoyed it greatly. He chewed on my finger every
time I dipped it into sugared water without biting.
I left him fast asleep. When I returned in the afternoon he was
walking from side to side, shaking his head, and howling most
dolefully. The cry was much like that of a child, only louder and more
disagreeable. He was hungry. I went to him and I said, "Stop it." At
this he howled so it made my head ache. I picked him up, and with the
aid of a shingle, I gave him a spanking, just as you would a bad boy.
This stopped his howling, and then his master came and fed him.
After this spanking it was very evident that he did not care for my
acquaintance. He persistently refused to recognize me. As I approached
him his ears would go back, and his fur would rise. He had decided to
cut my acquaintance.
Some days after, I was watching a tennis game in the next yard,
standing with my back to baby bruin. He couldn't overlook the
opportunity to get even, and, watching his chance, he fastened his
teeth in the calf of my leg.
V.
THE BLACK BEAR OF CALIFORNIA.
_Ursus Californiensis._
This bear we will label for convenience _Ursus Californiensis_,
because the title of _Ursus Americanus_ has dignified the small black
bear of the Eastern states. There are, however, three species of the
black bear in California that are known, and there may be more. The
large black bear of California reaches very large proportions. I have
seen some that might weigh from 800 to 1,000 pounds. It is hunted for
its fur, which is uniform in color, and for its flesh, which is quite
good, either smoked or fresh. This animal will never seek an encounter
with man. I remember my original introduction to a bear of this
species. It was in the state of Washington. Owing to ill health I had
been staying at what is known there as a ranch. A ranch in the
western Washington forests generally consists of a shake hut or log
house, and a promise by the "rancher" that he will soon clear enough
ground to raise _something_. Generally this vague something is a
mortgage. This particular rancher had a cow, and this cow often
strayed away into the timber and had to be looked after when milking
time came.
One day, in the exuberance of new found health, I was taking the
greatest of pleasure in chasing that cow toward the "shed" road to the
ranch. I was feeling especially good, and I was jumping over fallen
trees, making short cuts and throwing broken branches and an
occasional stone at the old Jersey.
Suddenly I stopped before an extra high log, and gathering myself
together, I jumped high over it. I landed upon the upturned belly of
an old she bear. There was a sound like the escape of gas from a
rubber bag. I passed the cow like a streak of lightning. When I had
run a considerable distance I turned my head and saw the bear running
in the opposite direction. I did not stop, however, and I got to the
ranch nearly an hour before the old cow.
In the shingle mills of the North the Norwegian hands have the same
veneration for the bear as the Indian. They always speak of him not as
a bear, but as "the old man with the fur coat on."
VI.
QUAINT INDIAN LORE
IN REGARD TO THE MYSTICAL POWER OF THE BEAR AS A GREAT MEDICINE.
This is a legend of the Ojibwa Indians as told by Sikassige, the
officiating priest of the Ojibwas at White Earth, Minnesota: