The Quadrupeds of North America by John James Audubon and John Bachman Volume 3 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1854 Excerpt: ... but the older males often come abroad in the winter in quest of food. Mackenzie mentions the den or winter retreat of a Grizzly Bear, which was ten feet vide, five feet high, and six feet long. This species varies very much in colour; we have skins in our possession collected on the Upper Missouri, some of which are nearly white, whilst others are as nearly of a rufous tint. The one that was killed by our party (of which we have also the skin) was a dark brown one. The following is from notes of J. W. Audubon, made in California in 1849 and 1850: " High up on the waters of the San Joaquin, in California, many of these animals have been killed by the miners now overrunning all the country west of the Sierra Nevada. Greatly as the Grizzly Bear is dreaded, it is hunted with all the more enthusiasm by these fearless pioneers in the romantic hills, valleys, and wild mountains of the land of gold, as its flesh is highly prized by men who have been living for months on salt pork or dry and tasteless deer-meat. I have seen two dollars a pound paid for the leaf-fat around the kidneys. If there is time, and the animal is not in a starving condition, the Grizzly Bear always runs at the sight of man; but should the hunter come too suddenly on him, the fierce beast always commences the engagement.--And the first shot of the hunter is a matter of much importance, as, if unsuccessful, his next move must be to look for a sapling to climb for safety. It is rare to find a man who would willingly come into immediate contact with one of these powerful and vindictive brutes. Some were killed near ' Green Springs, ' on the Stanislaus, in the winter of 1849-50, that were nearly eight hundred pounds weight. I saw many cubs at San Francisco, Sacramento city, and Stockton, and ...