The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1889-10-24

He mentions, however. that mOrtaly wound
ed Jungle bear scsiped aud killed DIR. Giles
pie, sporting companion Of bis; aud Col. Pol
l0k asserts that in Burmah they kill more pco-
pie than tigers do. Without multiplying quo
tations il may be asserted that the majority of
trustworthy writers agree in regarding the
beast in question as generally mona aggressive,
but not always so. All Of them look upon him
as a very dangerous antagonist at close quar-
tiers and Col. Markham states that they find
no difficulty in getting within striking distance,
though they rarely charge. a man may shoot
bears for years and never see a real downright
charge" Then. however, the velocity Is greater
than that Of a tiger; " they come as II shot out
Of a cannon This officer reports that the
common black bears Of the jungles often make
kind Of cover for themselves by bending slender
reeds or bushes towards each other, and inter
twning and fastening the ends" This is done
for the sake OF shade, 10 which they are very
partial. Tho Himalayan, or Hill bear, on the
contrary. who lives in q colder climate re-
verses the process Of his congener Of the plains.
He according 10 Capt Baldwin. makes a tlat
nest or platform Of broken boughs
or sticks in tree, for the purpose Of summing
himself To conclude with this species, il
seems certain that il does not always hibernate,
sportsmen having killed black bears in tue hills
throughout the Winter. Their teUacity Of life
is so great that, If their authors were Of a less
this fact would be incredible.
CAPT. SHAKESPEARE, LIKE ALL OTHER WRITER'S
who speak from personal observation. says the
Mclursus Labiatus invariably strikes at the
head or face, and that "Once embraced by this
bear there ia very little hope" Both he and
Maj. Leveson state that. although Jungle bears
generally live ia families, they sometimes ag-
gregate as If they were greRaTions; and the
aforementioned author informs us that - a
/ bears temper is very uncertain; sometimes be
will bolt away soon as he winds mans pres
| ence, whilst at others he will boldly dispute
| his way and charge without provocatioD. AS
| a rule the female is more courageous than the
male, and she will often fight desperately in
| defense Of her young"
What is unfortunately as DIR. JerdOn re-
marks called the Thibct bear, seeing that there
are but few Of these animals in those partso Of the
! country which have been explored, can scarcely
be regarded as anything but very superb
cially- maTked variety Of the ordinary bill bear
| belonging TO the northern frontier of India
| which has passed the mountains and perpetu-
| ated itself on the high. undulatiug plateau oil
| the land whence tho creature takes It's name
Ia works on natural history il is announced
az certain that the Sun bear tHelarctos), other.
wise called the Maayan bear. is only found in
that peninsula and ia the greater islands Of
| the Australasian hipelago-BoTneo, 6uma
| ira and Java. Capt. ShakspeTe reports killing
Honey bear which fairly measured six feel
and half in length, but this speeches. says DIR
JerdOn THE Mammals Of India) does not ex
coed four. Their usual habitat is mountainous
aud they oscillate from 1900 To I2.00O-fee
line. close TO the snow, ia Summer. aud de
scend 20 5000 feet IN altitude during Winter
This form has little or no reputation among
sportsmen, and from that cause, ms we'll as OF
account of the inaccessibility OF lis ranges hal
been comparatively little observed in the wild
state. biologists report that il will occasionally
Kill the smaller dOmesticated animals and pre-
sumably fcTal creatures also, although scvera
authorities maintain that neither species o
bears mentioned ever kill for the sake Of flesh
| IL Is, upon the whole an inOiensve, short
| sighted brute. timid. and never pugnaciou
unless wounded, and lives on a strictly yegeta
bic diet ~ a rule. When il does attack, how
overland from certain parenthetieal notices il
| works devoted 10 the description Of more for
Inidable animals. IL would seem AS if aggression
were not 20 rare as is 6uppOsed--it strikes, lik
all creatures Of its kind, for the face and head
The HelafctOs Is more susceptible Of education
than rs cOugcncr Of the Indian iuugles am
hills, aud as IT possesses IN high degree al
the grOIeeque traits which belong 10 the for
mcr, il is one Of the drollest Of beasts Unlik
the lsrgelipped bear which is torpid aud mel
anch0ly in captivity, this one is endowed will
exUbeTant animal spirits. Its power Of con
. toTting the countcnance is more limited thar
that Of it, gifted ally, but in general appear
ance it Is extremely ludcrOns, aud its perform
ances az a buG00n, which it seems 10 deigh
in, are inimitable Structuraly there is littl
10 be said Of this animal that has not been al
, iBded 10 before. OF It's disposition when mad
captive IT may be said that la temper it is com
, monty mild, aud often atiecti0nate; that il /
, Il great epicure, aud rather given 30 drink
, Some natumlists have described the BOrnes
! Sun bear as distinct species from the Maaya
bruanP, but they resemble each other ia ever
way closely that this distinction may b
looked upon merely an expression Of Tia
species making mania"
! THE NEXT Animal or THIs GENUS TO d
[ CONSIDERED
Is widely different from that which has been jns
D spoken Of The Ursus Arctos has many name
3 and Iswidely distributed, icing found in Siberia
j Norway, Russia, Central Europe, Spain, KANT
q ebatka, the high nUrlbern ATTITUDES of thi
i continent, and ia Japan. IL il therefore no
5 strictly an Old World animal. aud has bee
? taken together with the Asiatic bears only "a
convenience sake, aud because IL might be o
, justly Joined with tho Ursidie Of the Easter
T as with those Of the Western Hemispher,
j. / Without going into the subject Of the identt
y OF tie Brown bear OF the Caucasus the Snoi
b bear Of the Himalayas, aud what Sir job
= Richardson called the Barren ground bear
4 Of snh-arciic North America suffice il TO sa
: that those who have seen most OF this ereaIuI