Ursus. 121 
combs at the bottom of the galleries. He then with violent puffs 
dissipates the dust and crumbled particles of the nest, and sucks out the 
inhabitants of the comb by such forcible inhalations as to be heard at 
two hundred yards distant or more. Large larve are in this way 
sucked out from great depths under the soil.” 
Insects of all sorts seem not to come amiss to this animal, which 
systematically hunts for them, turning over stones in the operation. 
The Sloth Bear has usually two young ones at a birth. They are 
born blind, and continue so till about the end of the third week. The 
mother is a most affectionate parent, defending her offspring with the 
greatest ferocity. A she-bear with cubs is always an awkward 
customer, and she continues her solicitude for them till they are nearly 
full grown. The young ones are not difficult to rear if ordinary care be 
taken. The great mistake that most people make in feeding the young 
of wild animals is the giving of pure cows’ milk. I mentioned this in 
‘ Seonee’ in speaking of a bear :— 
“The little brute was as savage as his elders, and would do nothing 
but walk to the end of the string by which he was attached toa tent peg, 
roll head over heels, and walk in a contrary direction, when a similar 
somersault would be performed ; and he whined and wailed just like a 
child ; one might have mistaken it for the puling of some villager’s brat. 
Milford was going to give it pure cows’ milk when Fordham advised 
him not to do so, but to mix it with one half the quantity of water. 
‘The great mistake people make,’ he said, ‘who try to rear wild 
animals, is to give them what they think is best for them, viz., good 
fresh cows’ milk, and they wonder that the little creatures pine away 
and die, instead of flourishing on it. Cows’ milk is too rich ; buffalos’ 
milk is better, but both should be mixed with water. It does not matter 
what the animal is: tiger-cub, fawn, or baby monkey—all require the 
same caution.’” 
I had considerable experience in the bringing up of young things of 
all sorts when in the Seonee district, and only after some time learnt the 
proper proportions of milk and water, and also that regularity in feeding 
was necessary—two-thirds water to one of milk for the first month ; 
after that half and half. 
The Sloth Bear “carries her cubs on her back, as do the opossums, 
and a singular little animal called the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus)—and 
she seems to do this for some time, as Mr. Sanderson writes he shot one 
which was carrying a cub as large as a sheep-dog. 
In that most charming of all sporting books ever written, Campbell’s 
‘Old Forest Ranger,’ there is an amusingly-told bit with reference to 
this habit of cub-carrying which I am sure my readers will forgive me 
for extracting. Old Dr. Jock M‘Phee had been knocked over by a she- 
bear, and is relating his grievances to Charles :— 
