Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-12-23
The BEARS OF THE IIIMALAYAs.


rot sleep for seveTai months. L have noticed
the feeble sight OF brown bears in early sprinr.
for no doubt, after the organ gets accustomed to
light, its powers return The vision, however
i at all times feeble compared with smell and
hearing. to which it il clear the animal trusts to
me greatest extent. On several occasions have
gone mp To Individuals on q level, to within a
lev yards. before they recognized nav presence
and that was seemingly only known through
toNnd- Inc stupidity or the animal at the above
season Ii marked in CONF arsOn with the subse-
quent summer months, when its brain Is more ar-
i've. Among examples, / stalked bear under
6ever OF bank, AID popped up my head to and
Bruin's nose within . foot of my own. On an
other occasion friend and his followers were
seated on the side OF a hill eating their dinners
SI 49, DroSn bear, disturbed by one of the
absolutely stumbled over the party, scattering
Them IN divers directions, to the utter astonsh.
ment OF all concerned. don't know a single in
stance of this bear having attacked man. even
when wounded; sometimes she-bear with cubs
WI attempt TO cover the retreat by making
snow or attack. wounded very large he bear
vel able to have disputed the ground with me-
- barred the only entrance to a rock chasm to
which he had retreated; but the terrified ami
nal, instead of attacking me. turned away, aud
attempted 10 climb up the sides of the cavity
moaning piteOusly ali the time.
The black himaaysn bear is far more coura-
StOuS when brought to bay, and, although a
smaller animal. seldom sCruples 10 charSe its
antagonist IL invariably attacks the Other Sue-
Cies, which flies before II; hence il NAV be that
ihe brown l. TePeled 10 the higher attitudes
mainly by this bear, which frequents the lower
and cultivated ranges. where the winter climate
- Hot so severe as 70 nCcessitate recourse TO nv
BcrnatiOn-
There is noticeable difference generally in
tie c1ioIhg OF the brown bear of the ma avas
Shd Syrla a. con pared with tn same species of
iFOl'e. North America, and, believe, the Al
lar ranges The former has a ligGt fuIvous or
Isabella unge Of color on the tips of the fur
y hI~, however, although n very usual is Inv mo-
nlears regular condition. 1 have seen many
individuals almost gray and even dark brown
EHe the cehIzens OF the latter countries, of
which species IL is q variety, not differing anna
ICntly in any other particular.
ntii the couguesi and occupation of the Pun
.Iaub by the British in lis, few Europeans had
CVIl0Ted Cashmere and the mountain regions a.
the sources Of the Five Rivers, which 20 TO form
The main portion OF the Indus. Since then the
number OF visitors is increasing every year,
whilst the bears are becoming gradually extinct
A"cut the 9 me an noticing u VS. no difficult
matter to XIII thirty or f,rty bears in the course
ct ? teT weeks IN am 81 Tie large valleys of-the
northern ranges.
The black bear is nowhere plentiful. bnt ia
very generally distributed II leads An unset
ted lie, much like IT, sable COnEener of North
America, and L also very partial 10 grain and
nut winch he deNOCTS and destroys in a very
FuCOESl,tcrate mann 7. In many of the sabalpine
valleys, when the Indian corn Is ripening. along
the hillside, from one little clearing to the other
the loud wsilins> Of the natives throughout the
night, kept up for the purpose of ightenng the
bear, testify to he prevalence OF these intrud-
CT>- In the valley OF Cashmere ''potting black
bears in mulberry trees continues a favOri'e
diversion with European visitors When {, at
delicious fruit ripens towards the end OF June
and nowhere il it found in greater quantities
AMI in higher peTfectiOn-paTties sally forth by
moonlight or az twill CHIT 70 the gardens and jun
glrs fTequented BY the animal. There Brun
nay be seen standing erect on some branch. al d
capturing the smaller ONES with his fore paws.
Being how frequently mClt sted he will seldom
give hiS EGTsUer~ the chances that used 20 fall
g. 5thP hunter in those days. when ludicrsU
scenes constantly occurred To have been ia
Cashmere and not killed a black or brown bear,
vas then considered indicative OF very small
sporting pTetensiOns-
well recoIlect an amusing incident in con-
nectiOn with this description of bear stalking.
Two young officers, determined 70 carry back
8 me trophy TO India, engaged a Cashmeree to
direct them to the nearest possible situation
where a black bear could be discovered, which
was then easily 10 be met with within few
hours march OF the capital. Bruin was found
accordingly on the tOpmast branch of a tall
mulberry, intently devOuring the fruit. The two
hunters accordingly made for the trunk and
fred simultaneously, when down dropped Bruin
Ike avalanche at their feet. but, losing no
time in getting on his own. h seized first one,
then the other, and tossed them from him, then
SCampered of into the jungle, and was never
IcaTd of afterwards; whilst the native hunter,
no turned out Afterwards To be no SimrOd an
a. all, but . tailor, decamped, and Was new
seen by the party again accompanied my two
CScUmitted friends on the following DAY to the
scene OF the disaster, in quest of their Tihes,
which had been thrown away during the STAN
pede OF the previous night Neither Of the hunt
ers sustained any hart, but the firearms were
much damaged, and spare one was missiI
J. . u
whatever that Bruin hal received any person
injury beyond the fri ght caused by the report
the firearms have, however, seen natives WAC
bore scars Il serious wounds inflicted by the
animal, CHIEF by the she bear when followed by
her cub. The usual modes Of attack are either
\ direct charge with the intention Of upsetting
the enemy, or BY rearing on the hind legs and
luEging him with the paws; at the same time
the animal inficts injuriCs with its teeth.
Nothing puzzles the usual fertile imsginas don
D the native hunter more than 70 account for
the strange state known a hybernayion. Evil
IDENTIFY the fat cor ditiOn ia which the animal
goes to sleep m the beginning winter con
tnues undiminIshsd throughout its long i've
months sieSta. but SCI ms 20 rapidly disappear
in spring. when IL comes for n; AMI most as
Surediy there IL eause for wonder when We come
L. think that the heart and lungs are acting AL
the tine. whilst the brain. kidneys, and dig s.
tive organs are perfectly passive. sonnet tim S
the American black bear comes out during a
thaw in mid-rinter. and sets 70 feed on tn
bark; but, from all 1 could learn, the brown
en- in Sovsr,brr and - ncxsr seem INIT, W.
CT in MAY; the times OF ingreSs and egress are,
however. generally regulated by climate and
- aSon- With reference TO their condition on
Ieappearsnce in the spring, then the brown
bear IL excessively lean. 1 have skinned
many at this season, and, with the exception
ceTned about them Now. Ee know for q fact
that the cubs are born before the mother leaves
her den. and suekled there, 50 that ~ reg ards
Abe female the rapid loss OF fat M ght be easily
explained: moreover, il may be the case that the
animal continues awake Tor some time before
making its appearance. during which the Tat II
rapidly absorbed 10 maintain animal life.
have known . tanned black bear OF Canada 70
lass through tie coolest winter on record and
not hibernate; but il noticed, when the
thermometer stood NJ some IS % - degrees be-
Iw zero OF Fabrenbeit, that the individual In
question got very lethargic, aud, although in q
IUt Sc with plenty Of straw, it refused food foE
two or three days. returning % bread and milk
= sOon A. the iItts nse Geld moderated. The In
fuence OF cold ON the nervous systems OF some
certain AZ imal- leads US TO interesting physi0-
logical inquiries. which may with further study
] rove OF great scientific Importance; in The
meantime, n the question u asked, q Explain
The process OF hyberBatiOn in the bear, ETC., )" be
Y III be an honest philosopher who answers, g !
cont know"
IL il a very general opinion with the Cashmere
oHd Himalsyan natives, a. well a. the Indians
al North America, that the reason bears do not
CVacuate their intestines in the above state Is
that they eat quantities of pine resin before
going 90 their dens, and this my shiksret
IOiRted out 10 me ia the dung of one, bat. fur
theT than being very mucous, Is believe their
first dejecta are in spring did not any
sgeh appearances, and probably IL Is tins state
L rre- - f.asNg