e troublesome discrimination. Sugar and honey they
seem to like best of all, and they seek far to find the sweets; but when
hard pushed by hunger they make out to gnaw a living from the bark of
trees and rotten logs, and might almost live on clean lava alone.

Notwithstanding the California bears have had as yet but little
experience with honeybees, they sometimes succeed in reaching the
bountiful stores of these industrious gatherers and enjoy the feast with
majestic relish. But most honeybees in search of a home are wise
enough to make choice of a hollow in a living tree far from the ground,
whenever such can be found. There they are pretty secure, for though the
smaller brown and black bears climb well, they are unable to gnaw their
way into strong hives, while compelled to exert themselves to keep from
falling and at the same time endure the stings of the bees about the
nose and eyes, without having their paws free to brush them off. But woe
to the unfortunates who dwell in some prostrate trunk, and to the black
bumblebees discovered in their mossy, mouselike nests in the ground.
With powerful teeth and claws these are speedily laid bare, and almost
before time is given for a general buzz the bees, old and young, larvae,
honey, stings, nest, and all, are devoured in one ravishing revel.

The antelope may still be found in considerable numbers to the
northeastward of Shasta, but the elk, once abundant, have almost
entirely gone from the region. The smaller animals, such as the wolf,
the various foxes, wildcats, coon, squirrels, and the curious wood rat
that builds large brush huts, abound in all the wilder places; and the
beaver, otter, mink, etc., may still be found along the sources of the
rivers. The blue grouse and mountain quail are plentiful in the woods
and the sage-hen on the plains about the northern base of the mountain,
while innumerable smaller birds enliven and sweeten every thicket and
grove.

There are at least five classes of human inhabitants about the Shasta
region: the Indians, now scattered, few in numbers and miserably
demoralized, though still offering some rare specimens of savage
manhood; miners and prospectors, found mostly to the north and west of
the mountain, since the region about its base is overflowed with lava;
cattle-raisers, mostly on the open plains to the northeastward and
around the Klamath Lakes; hunters and trappers, where the woods and
waters are wildest; and farmers, in Sh