MELURSUS. 205 



when seized. This is described by Sanderson. Jerdon gives an 

 account of a curious method of hunting with dogs, practised by 

 the Polygars^ among the hills in the extreme south of the Penin- 

 sula. When the bear is brought to bay, the hunters each thrust 

 a long bambbo loaded with strong bird-lime into the shaggy coat 

 of their quarry, and thus hold him firmly. Nets have also been 

 employed. 



. A wounded bear usually escapes without attempting to fight, 

 and, unless he can get into a cave, runs away until he drops, no' 

 matter what the temperature may be, frequently going many 

 miles. Occasionally, however, he charges desperately, but a shot 

 in the face, whether it hits or not, will almost always turn him. 

 There is a common idea, quite unfounded, that a bear always rises 

 on its hind legs to attack, and may then be shot in the chest. It 

 very rarely, if ever, does this when really angry and assailing 

 an enemy already clearly recognized. The act of rising on the 

 hind legs is generally due to surprise, and to an endeavour, on the 

 part of the bear, to make out his enemy better. 



The pairing-time appears to vary, but is generally about June, 

 at the commencement of the monsoon. The period of gestation 

 is said by Tickell to be seven months ; if so, it rather exceeds that 

 of other bears. The young are born at various times from October 

 till February, but most often in December or January ; they are 

 usually two in number, the size of Newfoundland pups, are blind 

 for the first three weeks (18 days according to McMaster), and 

 are covered with soft, short hair, which after a couple of months 

 becomes rougher and coarser. After a time (2 or 3 months I 

 believe) the mother takes them with her, carrying them on her 

 back, where they cling to the long hair. They ride thus, at times, 

 until of tolerable size ; one cub mav sometimes be seen following 

 its mother whilst the other is carried. They take between two 

 and three years to reach maturity, and generally remain with the 

 mother till full-grown. Sloth-bears have been known to live in 

 captivity for 40 years. They are, when taken young, easily tamed, 

 and, although fretful and querulous at times, generally playful, 

 amusing, good-tempered, and much attached to their masters. 



Except Ursus syriacus and U. piscator, which are probably, like 

 U. isabellinus, local races of U. arctus, the only other member of the 

 Ursidce found in Asia is the very remarkable JEluropus melanoleucus, 

 inhabiting Moupin, in Eastern Tibet. It has one premolar less 

 than Ursus on each side of the lower jaw, and there is no alisphenoid 

 canal, but otherwise the skull and dentition do not differ greatly 

 from those of true bears. It is the size of a small brown bear ; 

 white, except the ears, a ring round each eye, the shoulders and 

 legs, which are black. The soles of the feet are hairy. 



