GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS. 



211 



forms to be found among the bears. It 

 grows to a considerable size, attaining the 

 length of about six feet, and attracts attention 

 by its long flat-browed head ending in a 

 movable proboscis, on which the nostrils 

 open in the form of slits protected by flaps, 

 which are constantly in motion. The thin 

 lips hang down over the mouth, and can be 

 pushed out in the form of a tube. The very 

 long thin flattened tongue resembles that of 

 a giraffe, and is used as an organ for grasping. 

 The large paws are armed with enormous 

 sharp sickle-shaped claws, reminding us by 

 their form of the claws of sloths. 1 



The Indian black bear inhabits the moun- 

 tain forests of India and Ceylon. It climbs 

 the highest trees with ease, seeking fruits and 

 the nests of wild bees, of which it is extremely 

 fond. With its long claws it opens the most 

 solidly built nests of the termites, which it 

 devours just as greedily as our bear does ants. 



The sweeter the fruits and plants are the 

 more are they sought after by this animal, 

 which likewise commits great ravages in 

 the sugar plantations. He rests during the 



hot hours of the day, and prefers the cool 

 nights for his plundering expeditions, in 

 which he but seldom attacks animals. 2 



The reputation of the Indian black bear is 

 different in different places. On the main- 

 land he is regarded as a tolerably peaceable 

 animal, and yet liable to outbursts of rage. 

 When disturbed in his comfortable repose, or 

 when one seeks to ward off his attacks on 

 the beehives, he takes it very ill. In Ceylon 

 the Indian black bear is even more dreaded 

 than the tiger. Everywhere he is regarded 

 as very cruel. The natives maintain that 

 in making an attack he always aims at the 

 eyes, endeavouring to tear them out with his 

 claws, and afterwards strangling his victim 

 and rending it in pieces. 



The apparent good-nature of the Indian 

 black bear in confinement is not to be trusted. 

 Many a keeper has been very severely handled 

 in consequence of sudden accesses of fury in 

 this savage animal. In their native country 

 these animals are trained to dance, and led 

 about by a ring through their nose to furnish 

 amusement, as the brown bears are among us. 



THE BADGER AND WEASEL FAMILY 



(MUSTELIDA). 



Except a single species all the Carnivora belonging to this family have a single large tubercled tooth in each half 

 of the upper, and two molars in each half of the lower jaw. 



The finest and most valuable furs arederived 

 from this family. The costliest of all furs are 

 in fact those obtained from the martens and 

 otters. The sea-otter, the sable, and the 

 visons are everywhere regarded as the jewels 

 of the fur trade. To wear ermine was at one 

 time the prerogative of princes, and even the 

 inferior sorts, such as the furs of the American 



1 It is partly to this circumstance, partly to the fact that the inner 

 incisors frequently drop out very early in life, that this animal owes 

 the vernacular name of Sloth-bear, by which it is often known. 

 TR. 



marten, the common marten, and the polecat 

 still hold the first rank in the trade. 



The members of this family are in general 

 small animals, for the great majority are on 

 an average only about 18 or 20 inches in 

 length. 



Only the dentition, of which we will speak 

 below, can furnish fixed characters for the 



5 Mr. G. P. Sanderson in his Wild Beasts of India mentions 

 instances in which the Indian black bear has been known to eat 

 the flesh of dead animals, but he adds that it never attempts to kill 

 animals for food. TR. 



