URSsUS. Tvs 
x. 
In Zhe Asian of January 7th, 1879, page 68, a correspondent 
(“N. F. T. T.”) writes that he obtained a specimen of this bear which 
was coal black throughout, with ihe exception of a dark dirty yellow on 
the lower lip, but of the usual crescentic white mark she had not a trace. 
This exceptional specimen was shot in Kumaon. Robinson, in his 
‘Account of Assam,’ states that these bears are numerous there, and in 
some places accidents caused by them are not unfrequent. 
All the Sun Bears are distinguished for their eccentric antics, conspi- 
cuous among which is the gift of walking about on their hind legs in a 
singularly human fashion. Those in the London Zoological Gardens 
invariably attract a crowd. They struggle together in a playful way, 
standing on their hind legs to wrestle. They fall and roll, and bite and 
hug most absurdly. 
Captain J. H. Baldwin, in his ‘ Large and Small Game of Bengal,’ 
puts this bear down as not only carnivorous, but a foul feeder. He 
says: On my first visit to the hills I very soon learnt that this bear was 
a flesh-eater, so far as regards a sheep, goats, &c.,. but I could hardly 
believe that he would make a repast on such abominations (i.c. carrion), 
though the paharies repeatedly informed me that such was the 
case. One day, however, I saw a bear busy making a meal off a bullock 
that had died of disease, and had been thrown into the bed of a stream.” 
In another page Captain Baldwin states that the Himalayan Bear isa 
good swimmer; he noticed one crossing the River Pindur in the flood, 
when, as he remarks, “no human being, however strong a swimmer, 
could have stemmed such a roaring rapid.” 
been killed by a bear was also very evident. He was naked to the waist, and had 
been cutting grass. His bundle lay by him, and the long curved kind of sickle that 
the hillmen used to cut grass with was stuck in his girdle, showing that he had 
not had time to draw it to strike one blow in his defence. The mark of the bear’s 
paw on his left side was quite distinct. This had felled him to the ground, and then 
the savage brute had given him one bite—no more, but that one had demolished 
almost the whole of the back of his head, and death must have been instantaneous. 
The man had apparently cut his load of grass, and was returning with it to the village, 
when he disturbed the bear, which attacked him at once. The old women was his 
mother, and the coolie with J some relation. Her son having been away all day, 
T suppose the old woman had gone to look for him. She found his body, as described, 
just below J ’s post, and at once set up a lamentation which brought the coolie, 
J ’s attendant, down to her, and J following himself, thought at first that the 
man had been killed then and there. There was such a row kicked up that no bear came 
near the apricots that night, and the next day we had to march, as our leave was up. 
I have heard of many other cases of the Black Bear attacking without any provoca- 
tion, and from what I know of the brute I quite believe them ; and, after all, the animal 
is not worth shooting. Their skins are always poor and mangy, and generally so 
greasy that they are very difficult to keep until you can make them over to the dresser, 
The skin of the Snow or Brown Bear, on the other hand, particularly if shot early 
in the season, is a splendid trophy, and forms a most beautiful and luxurious rug, the 
fur being extremely soft, and several inches in depth. ‘¢ SPINDRIFT. 
2 
