CHAPTER VI 



E 



THE BEJRS 



XCEPT the great cats, no creatures have longer held a place in 

 human interest than the BEARS. Their size and formidable 

 equipment of claws and teeth give the touch of fear which 

 goes with admiration. On the other hand, they do not, as a rule, molest 

 human beings, who see them employing their great strength on appar- 

 ently insignificant objects with some amusement. Except one species, 

 most bears are largely fruit and vegetable feeders. The sloth-bear of 

 India sucks up ants and grubs with its funnel-like lips ; the Malayan bear 

 is a honey-eater by profession, scarcely touching other food when it can 

 get the bees' store ; and only the great polar bear is entirely carnivorous. 

 The grizzly bear of the Northern Rocky mountains is largely a flesh 

 eater, consuming great quantities of putrid salmon in the Columbian 

 rivers. But the ice-bear is ever on the quest for living or dead flesh ; 

 it catches seals, de- 

 vours young sea- 

 fowl and eggs, and 

 can actually kill 

 and eat the gigantic 

 walrus. 



Every one will 

 have noticed the 

 deliberate flat- 

 footed walk of the 

 bears. This is due 

 partly to the for- 

 mation of the feet 

 themselves. The 

 whole sole is set flat 

 upon the ground, 



and the impressions in a bear's track are not 



unlike those of a man's footsteps. The claws 



are not capable of being retracted, like those 



of the Cats ; consequently they are worn at 



the tips where the curve brings them in contact 



with the ground. Yet it is surprising what 



wounds these blunt but hard weapons will in- 

 flict on man wounds resembling what might 



be caused by the use of a very large garden- 

 rake. Against other animals protected by hair 



bears' claws are of little use. Dogs would 



never attack them so readily as they do were 



they armed with the talons of a leopard or tiger. 



The flesh-teeth in both jaws of the bear are 



-.. :'> a^ _U*Sd 



Photo by Ottomar dnschutx,, Berlin 



AN INVITING 

 ATTITUDE 



The upright position is not natu- 

 ral to the broiun bear. It prefers 

 to sit on its hams, and not to stand 



Photo by Frattlli Alinari} 



THREE PERFORMING BEARS 



Those on the right and left are Himalayan black bears. The 



collar is plainly seen 



114 



