THE BEAR FAMILY. 



1IK SYRIAN BKAK, which Is otherwise known by tin- name* of l>i nn. ! Hi i< K, In 

 doubly mt> i. -;ink' to "-. not only on account of its )-. ulim I \ ^.-nil.- diaia. i- i . 

 but fi'.m id.- fad tliut il is tin- animal wliicli is so oft. n m. nii.pii.-<l in tin- Script 

 ural writing- iiini> -r the till.- of the Bear. Tin- animal- whiuli :u-- i.-j.resenti-d 

 as issuing from (In- wood and avenging the insults oflVn-d to Klishu, and tin- 

 Bear which David ana. k- -I and killed in defence of hi- Hock, Ix-longed to the 

 .-s which in now known by the name of tin- Syrian Hear. 

 Even at the present day, tin- i>i- i-- numlM-r of *jecies into which the 

 members of the Bear tril*- an- resolvable i- not \--ry satisfactorily ascertained. 

 It seem- -M.I. -in. however, that the Kitck, Isabella Bear, or Syrian Hear, may fairly In- con 

 -idered as a sejmnite |i-' 



The color of this animal is nith.-r peculiar, and varies exti-in.-ly durini: tin- diff>-ri-ni 

 )..-ii.Ml> of its lift-. While it is in its earliest years, the color of \\> fur i- a ^rayi-h-broun, but 

 on the animal increases In yean, the fur becomes gradually lighter in tint, and when the Hear 

 has attained maturity, is nearly white. 



The hair is long and slightly curled, and beneath the longer hair in a thick and warm 

 cowing of closely-sel woolly fur, which seem- to defend the animal from the extreme* ..f 

 heat or cold. Along the shoulders and front of the neck, the hair i- *o ]-r|>endiculurl\ 

 and projects so firmly, that it gives the appearance of a mane, somewhat resembling that of 

 the hyena. 



At the present day, the Syrian Bear may be found in the mountainous parts of Palestine. 

 and has be.n frequently seen upon the higher Lebanon mountains. The .summit of the moun 

 tain itself is composed of two snow clad ]-aks, and it is remarkable that the Bear has only 

 been found on one of these peaks. Mukm--!." a- ii is called, while the oi ] Saiiin is 



apparently free from these animals. The Bear appears to remain upon the upjH-r jMirtinns 

 of the mountains during the hours of daylight, but as soon as the evening draws near it 

 descends from its rocky fastness in search of food, and often causes considerable alarm to the 

 traveller. 



AMKRH-A furnishes several species of the Bear tribe, two of which, the (Jri/zly Bear and 

 the MrtHjUAW or BLACK BKAK, are the most conspicuous. 



The Black Bear is found in many parts of Northern America, and was formerly *i-n in 

 great j.l- -iii \ . Hut a- the fur and the fat arearticles of great commercial and social value, the 

 hunters ha\.- --vmsed their cm ft with such determination that the Hlack I tears are sensibly 

 diminishing in nnmU-r. The fur of the Hlack Hear is not so roughly shaggy a* that of the 

 Km.. j- an or the Syrian Bear, but is smooth and glossy in its appearance, so that it j.resenUa 



VOL. IL or *- Vat EMTMB. 



S17 



