258 THE BOOK OF THE ANIMAL KINGDOM 



often hear people venture their opinions concerning both animals 

 and plants. Most people love Roses and Violets, but few have a kind 

 word to say for the humble Dandelion and Daisy. Bird-lovers who 

 are friends of mine are in the seventh heaven of delight if they 

 chance to stalk an uncommon feathered creature, but pay little or no 

 attention to our common resident birds, whose constant presence 

 does so much to make the countryside and our gardens such pleasant 

 places in which to pass our daily lives. 



The reader must pardon this digression from the Brown Bear, 

 but an opportunity presented itself of writing as I have done, and, 

 with a promise not to return to the subject again, we may now 

 pass on. 



Like the Polar Bear, our Brown friend loves water, and is an 

 expert swimmer. Beyond this it is also a good climber, as all 

 visitors to the Bear Pit at the London Zoo can testify, and when 

 coming down a tree or elsewhere, it takes the precaution of 

 descending backwards after the manner of a human being. 



Its diet is made up mainly of various kinds of vegetable matter, 

 such things as roots, leaves, corn, berries and fruit being eaten. 

 Sometimes the diet is varied with the grubs of wasps and bees, 

 and, on occasions, it takes to killing cattle. 



When attacking, the Brown Bear exhibits a quickness of move- 

 ment which is very remarkable, and the power it possesses is not less 

 striking. It exhibits an uncertain temper, although, when obtained 

 young, it is not difficult to tame, but cannot always be trusted. 



In America there are, of course, the Grizzly Bear of the Rocky 

 Mountains — which is not only the most formidable animal of the 

 North American continent, but the most ferocious of the Bear 

 family — and the American Brown Bear. This latter is quite distinct 

 from the Grizzly, or "Old Ephraim," as it is also known, and in 

 Alaska attains a very large size, exceeding even the Russian Bears, 

 which have magnificent coats and possess a stature of great 

 dimensions. 



JAPANESE BEAR. — Little need be written of this species (Fig. 

 202) excepting that it is closely allied to the Himalayan Bear, and is 

 regarded by many Zoologists as only a variety, the chief distinguish- 

 ing feature being the less prominent white mark around the throat. 

 It is a common inhabitant of Northern Japan. 



MALAY BEAR — The Malay, or Malayan, Bear (Fig. 203) is a 

 resident, as its name implies, of the Malay Peninsula and the 



