THE BROWN BEAR. 151 



can be obtained when we state that one of his fore-paws just 

 covered an ordinary dinner plate. 



The The Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) was the bear 



Brown Bear. o f the British Isles, so long as the British 

 Isles boasted of. a bear. This was the baited bear of the 

 Royal sports, and of the common Bear garden. His last 

 appearance in Great-Britain in a wild state, however, dates 

 back more than 800 years. In size, shape, and habits he 

 much resembles the black bear of America. Like the Malayan 

 bear he is very fond of honey as the following amusing story 

 as told by Mrs Bowdich will show: 



" A countryman in Russia, when seeking honey, climbed a 

 very high tree, the trunk of which was hollow; and finding 

 there was a large quantity of comb in it, he descended, and 

 stuck fast , in the tenacious substance there deposited. He 

 was so far distant from home, that his voice could not be 

 heard, , and he remained two days in this situation, relieving 

 his hunger with the honey. He began to despair of ever 

 being extricated, when a bear, who, like himself, came for 

 the sake of the honey, slid down the hollow, hind-part fore- 

 most. The man, in spite of his alarm, seized hold of him; 

 and the bear, also in a great fright, clambered out as fast as 

 he could, dragging the man up with him, and when clear of 

 his tail-bearer, made off as fast as possible." 



The The Malayan Bear is about four feet long and 



Malayan Bear, two feet high. It has a long tongue which 

 serves it well in extracting honey from the honey combs in 

 the hollow trunks of trees. Other bears are the Syrian Bear 

 of Western Asia, the Spectacled Bear of South America and 

 Peru and the Sloth Bear of India and the Mahratta country. 

 SUB-ORDER II. We come now to the second sub-order of the 

 The Carnivora or flesh-eating animals, the sub-order 



Pinnipedia. which includes the Seal and the Walrus. These 

 in the form of their skulls and in other ways show evident rela- 

 tionship to the bear, and so appropriately follow him in classifica- 



