MELURSUS "DIABOLICUS" 



y YRSUS labiatuS) alias Melursus ursznus, as he is 

 m I now called, the common "sloth" bear of India, 

 ^^J appears to be an animal of varied accomplish- 

 ments and strange contradictory character. 



Scarcely any two of the sportsmen to whom we are 

 indebted for information regarding the habits of Indian 

 game appear to be of one mind with respect to the temper 

 and general bearing of this interesting quadruped in such 

 dealings as he may have with man. A quiet, inoffensive 

 vegetarian, say some although this would hardly agree 

 with the experiences of the forty-and-two children torn by 

 the bears introduced to them by one Elisha a poor old 

 blundering buffoon of the woods, fleeing from a shadow, 

 receiving his death wound with quiet resignation, and 

 remonstrating with plaintive ululations alone ; a nasty- 

 tempered quarrelsome brute, say others; a persevering 

 enemy that will not leave his victim the semblance of 

 humanity, says the native. 



It appears, however, that the character of this bear, with 

 respect to man, depends largely on locality. On the 

 Central India plateau he is an object of great dread to 

 the native, more to be feared than any tiger or panther. 

 Instances of his totally unprovoked attacks on human 

 beings are here frequent. A belated villager, some poor 

 creature squatting in the woods to gather the fallen flowers 

 of the mhowa tree, the traveller pausing by some jungle 

 pool any of these will do. The face and head of the 



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