Page:Babyhood of Wild Beasts.djvu/100

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THE BABYHOOD OF WILD BEASTS

sensitive nose, and blind him. Then the poor old chap wanders around in great pain, unable to procure food or water in this helpless condition, and finally dies from starvation. The trapper is always seeking him for his valuable fur, and poor old Bruin has to ever be on the alert to protect his much-sought-after life.

We have fourteen kinds of bears in the world. Four of them come from North America.

Here are the four species from North America:

1. Polar bear, of the far North. White. Very large.

2. Big brown bears of Alaska. Light brown. Very large.

3. Grizzly bears. Mexico to Alaska. Grey or brown. Medium or very large.

4. Black bears. North America generally, from Mexico to Alaska. Medium and large. The black bear is well adapted to tree climbing. (Hornaday.)

Bears are among the most interesting creatures of our animal world. They are loving and gentle, but so full of mischief it is difficult to make good pets of them.