THE HIMALAYAN BLACK BEAR 611 



The black bear, which is known in Kashmir as the Siyah Haput (in contradis- 

 tinction to the Kunea Haput, or bro\vn bear), does not thoroughly hibernate, but, 

 according to General Kinloch, " appears to pass a great deal of his time during the 

 cold months in a state of semitorpor; occasionally wandering out in search of food, 

 when an unusually mild day thaws his blood and awakens him to the sense of hunger. ' ' 



Like its similarly-colored relative in North America, the black Himalayan bear 

 is sharper in hearing than the brown bear, and it may be that the black color- 

 ation has some connection with the greater development of this sense. In 

 disposition the black bear is decidedly more savage and prone to attack man than 

 the brown bear ; and in the fruit season a large number of natives are annually 

 badly mauled in Kashmir by its talons. It must be confessed, however, that these 

 wounds are largely due to the foolhardiness of the natives themselves, who will not 

 hesitate to drive off the bears from their crops and orchards when armed solely with 

 a stick. In addition to its skill as a climber this bear is a good swimmer. The 

 young, which are nearly always two in number, are born in the spring. 



The small variety from Baluchistan, locally known as the Mam, and 

 originally described as a distinct species, under the name of U. gedrosi- 

 anus, is chiefly interesting as inhabiting a country of such a totally different nature 

 from the typical habitat of the present species. The Japanese black bear (/. 

 faponicus) is so nearly allied to the Himalayan species that it is regarded by some 

 writers merely as a local variety, mainly characterized by the white mark on the 

 throat being less distinct. It appears to be very common in Northern Japan, where 

 it is of great importance to the Ainos, who use its skin for clothing, its flesh for 

 food, and the stones in its gall bladder for medicine. Aino houses are commonly 

 decorated with the skulls of these bears ; and, according to Miss Bird, "the Ainos 

 may be distinguished as bear worshipers, and their great religious festival, or 

 saturnalia, as the Festival of the Bear. ... In all Aino houses, specially near 

 the chief's house, there are several tall poles with the fleshless skull of a bear on 

 the top of each ; and in most there is also a large cage, made gridiron fashion of 

 stout timbers, and raised two or three feet from the ground. At the present time 

 such cages contain young but well-grown bears, captured when quite small in the 

 early spring. After the capture the bear cub is introduced into a dwelling house, 

 generally that of the chief or subchief, when it is suckled by a woman, and played 

 with by the children, till it grows too big and rough for domestic life, and is placed 

 in a strong cage, in which it is fed and cared for, as I understand, till the autumn 

 of the following year, when, being strong and w r ell grown, the Festival of the Bear 

 is celebrated. The customs of this festival vary considerably, and the manner of the 

 bear's death differs among the mountain and coast Ainos ; but everywhere there is a 

 general gathering of the people, and it is the occasion of a great feast, accompanied 

 by much sake, and a curious dance, in which men alone take part. Yells and 

 shouts are used to excite the bear, and when he becomes much agitated a chief 

 shoots him with an arrow, inflicting a slight wound which maddens him, on which 

 the bars of the cage are raised, and he springs forth, very furious. At this stage the 

 Ainos run upon it with various weapons, each one striving to inflict a wound, as it 

 brings good luck to draw his blood. As soon as he falls down exhausted, his head 



