The yearly cycle of a bear’s life is a study in contrasts. Much of the warm part of the year is spent in search for food with which to build up a store of fat so that the winter may be spent in inactivity. Bears hibernate or, more properly, retire for several months of the winter. They do not fall into the deep sleep indulged by some of the rodents. Theirs is an uneasy sleep broken by periods of lethargy when they are awake but avoid any activity. By these means they conserve enough of their thick layer of fat to live out the cold weather and emerge in early spring with a considerable reserve. Hibernation takes place in late autumn, usually after the first light snows. Evidently the animals have a den already located, for when they feel the urge to retire they strike out across country to it. The same winter quarters often will be used by one individual for several seasons. Dens are chosen in a variety of locations. They may be in old hollow logs or in the bases of fire-gutted trees. Some are in crevices among huge boulders, others in caves. The main concern seems to be to find a place sheltered from the wind and snow. If the floor happens to be covered with chips or leaves, so much the better. It usually is, either from air currents which bring in falling leaves or through the labors of woodrats which deposit much litter in such places. The bears curl up on the floor, and after the first heavy snow there is nothing to mark the spot. In the case of a small den, such as a cavity in the base of a tree, an airhole may form in the drift from the warmth of the animal’s respiration. The cubs are born in late winter. From one to four in number, they are incredibly small at birth. They develop rather slowly and at the time the family emerges from the den are approximately 18 inches long. The cubs may all be one color or some may be brown and some black. The male bear has no part in raising the family; indeed, he is driven from the scene by the irate mother, should he approach too closely. She has all the responsibility for raising the family, and a busy time is assured with such mischievous, carefree youngsters.