411 





BEAR. 



Ill 



There are several specimen* in the garden* of the Zoological Society 

 Regonf. Park. 



y;.i/u (Hrlarelia turjftpiliu of Horsficld), the Borncan Bear 

 differs from the Malayan Bear principally in having a large orange- 

 coloured patch, deeply notched at ita upper part, upou the chest In 



Borncan Bear (I'riia Utlarclot Emyipiltu). 



size it is supposed to be rather less than the last. The individual 

 which was exhibited in the Tower of I.,,,,.!,.,,, and from which Dr. 

 Hor6eld wrote his deMription, measured along the back from inn/./li- 

 to tail 3 feet 9 inches. It was obtained in Borneo when very young, 

 and during the voyage was the constant'associate of a monkey and 

 other animals. In confinement its manners greatly resembled those 

 "f tli,' Malayan Bear. Its habits in a state of nature do not appear to 

 )- known, but are most probably similar to those of the Malayan 

 species. Dr. Ilorsfielil, shaking of its habits in captivity, says 

 'The Jfdarctoi readily distinguishes the keeper, and evinces an 

 attachment to him. On his approach it employs all its efforts to 

 .Main food, seconding them l>y emitting a coarse but not unpleasant 

 whining sound. This it continues while it consumes its food, alter- 

 nately with a low grunting noise; but if teased at this time, it 

 suddenly raises its voice and emits at intervals harsh and grating 

 Our animal is excessively voracious, and appears to be 

 disposed to cat almost without cessation. When in a good humour, 

 it often amuses the spectators in a different manner. Calmly seated 

 in its apartment, it expands the jaws, and protrudes its long and 

 slender tongue as above described. It displays on many occasions not 

 only much gentleness of disposition, but" likewise a considerable 

 degree of sagacity. It appears conscious of the kind treatment it 

 receives from its keeper. On seeing him it often places itself in a 

 variety of attitudes to court his attention and caresses, extending its 

 none and anterior feet, or suddenly turning round exposing the back, 

 and waiting for aevenl minute* in 'this attitude with the head placed 

 on the ground. It delights in being patted and nibbed, and even 

 allow* strangers to do so; but it violently resents abuse and ill 

 treatment, and having been irritated, refuses to be courted while the 

 offending penmn remains in sight" 



The individual whoso manners are here described fell a viet.im to 

 -.icity. 1 Miring the hot weather of the summer of 1828 it over- 

 gorged iUelfone morning, and died within ten minutes after the 

 meal Its skin is preserved in the Museum of the Zoological Society. 



African Start. 



The existence of bears in Africa has been more than doubted. 

 Kvcn Cnvier, who saw the weak points of the negative evidence on 

 tin* subject, says, "the existence of boars in Africa is not so 

 indisputable." 



Pliny <viii. 36) observes, that it was recorded in the Annals that 

 Domtttal AooUrboa. the curule -fKdile, in the consulship of v 

 and M. Measala (B.C. 62) exhibited a hundred Numidian Bears, and as 

 many Ethiopian hunters in the circus, and adds his wonder that the 

 beari should have been called Numidian, as it was evident that no 

 bear* were produced in Africa. In the 57th chapter of the same 

 book he makes the broad assertion that in Africa there arc neither 

 boar*, nor stags, nor goats, nor bean. 



'Proper AlpinuV" say* Cuvier, "attribute* bears to Egypt, but 



which were assuredly no bears at all, for he states that they are of 

 the size of a sheep, and of a white colour. Never did one of the 

 naturalist* of our expedition see there any true bears." Bruce says 

 positively, that there is no bear in any part of Africa. 



The inclination of I'min's mind, seems to have been against the 

 existence of bear* in Africa ; and yet the record of the annalist quoted 

 by Pliny, and the numerous passages concerning Lybian Bears in 

 Herodotus, Virgil, Juvenal, Martial, and others, make a strong case 

 for their existence. 



It was reserved for Khrenberg to solve these doubts in great 

 measure. Writing on this subject, he says " Moreover, we ourselves 

 have seen in the mountains of Abyssinia, and then-lore in Africa 

 itself, an animal most like to a bear (nay, why had I not said a 

 bear?) and hunted it repeatedly, but in vain. ' It is called b\ the 

 natives Kami." He then goes on can give to those 



who are interested in the geographical distribution of the !.. 

 tidings of a blackish plantigrade wild beast ino.-t like unto a !...,], in 

 the mountains of Abyssinia, though neither I'.rnce nor Salt m.ik.- 

 mention of it; and that, according to the description of the inhabi- 

 tants, the mountains of Arabia Felix are inhabited by a similar or 

 the same blackish bear, said to be remarkable for its length. -n.-d 

 muzzle. He adds, " Korskal moreover has brought tidings of an 

 indigenous Arabian bear." 



Marine Bear. 



V. maritimut. Linn. (Thalarctot maritiinui, Gray), the Polar 

 or Ice Bear. Martens waa one of the first who di-tingui--hed thi- 



v 'fltalarctos mat , 



species from actual observation. The Brown Bear, as has been stated, 

 appears to have been the only species known to Linmens. It is not 

 ndeed till his 10th edition that he shows any suspicion that the Polar 

 licar was distinct ; and in his last he only ventures to say, in a in .t ire 

 appended to the description of Urtiii Arcloi, " l'r-n 

 albus major iirctieus. Mart.n-. N/./.'c*. " :! - * " f- ' ( " l ' t " di 

 species eat, nobis non visa, cap , .-olio ungn 



The habits, and many ports of its organisation adapted to thoM 



I' the Polar or Sea Bear, 1'Ours 1'olaire of the I -V 

 i'iliiniii of Krxl.-l.en. t'mif . iillm* of llrissoii. 



ilarrtia iiinriiim !' tlr.iy. according to the testimony of all 



zoologists, have confirmed the accuracy of Martens. 



An inhabitant of the dreary regions which surround the Xorth 

 [*ole with eternal frost, ami of those coasts which are rarcK 

 Voin ice. the Polar Hear is almost entirely carnivorous, i 

 latmv. Animals of the land and of the NC.-I, birds and their eggs, 

 the dead and the living, are alike devoured. An admirable swimmer 

 md diver, and of great strength, he ch:mes the seal with succes 



to attack the walrus i- . n_'ht relates an anecdote ill 



>roof of his agility in the water. Me saw a Polar Itcar dive after a 

 almoii, and the bear dived with success, for he killed his fish. Captain 

 ^yon gives the following account of its hunting the seal : -"The Ix-ar 

 on seeing his intended prey, gets quietly into the water, and swims 

 mtil to leeward of him, from whence, by frequent short di 

 ilently makes his approaches, and so arranges hi* distance, that at 



the last dive he comes to the spot where the seal is lying. If the ] r 



mimal attempts to escape by rolling into tin- pmfa r. h.- 1'alN int.. the 



on the contrary ho lies still, his d.-stn 



lowei-ful spring. Vills him on the ice, and devours him at leisure." 

 The same author informs us that this bear in.t with 



rapidity, but is capable of making long springs in the water. ^ 

 states that he saw one about midway between the north and -.nth 

 shores of Barrow's Strait*, which are 40 miles opart, though there waa 

 no ice in sight to which lie could resort for rest 



The floating carcasses of whales and other marine uniTn.il- f"iin a 

 considerable part of its food, and the smell of tb 



