Moreover,
all bears vary greatly in size; and I have seen the bodies of very large
black or brown bears with short fore-claws which were fully as heavy as,
or perhaps heavier than, some small but full-grown grislies with long
fore-claws. These very large bears with short claws are very reluctant
to climb a tree; and are almost as clumsy about it as is a young grisly.
Among the grislies the fur varies much in color and texture even among
bears of the same locality; it is of course richest in the deep forest,
while the bears of the dry plains and mountains are of a lighter, more
washed-out hue.
A full grown grisly will usually weigh from five to seven hundred
pounds; but exceptional individuals undoubtedly reach more than twelve
hundredweight. The California bears are said to be much the largest.
This I think is so, but I cannot say it with certainty--at any rate I
have examined several skins of full-grown California bears which were
no larger than many I have seen from the northern Rockies.
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