74 URSID.E. 



perform various antics. Their pursuit is a favourite sportamong Europeans 

 in India, and now and then a daring sportsman gets mauled severely by a 

 wounded bear, whilst many others have had a narrow escape of a clone 

 embrace of their grisly foe. In the extreme south of India, among the 

 Polygars of the hills, boars used to be hunted by strong fierce dogs, und 

 when held at bay by them, the native sportsmen each thrust a long bamboo 

 loaded with strong birdlime into the shaggy coat of their quarry, and thus 

 firmly hold their struggling prey ; this practice I understand has of 

 of late years almost fallen into disuse." 



The huge Polar boar, U. ma/ritimus, L., is the typo of Thalarctoa of 

 Gray. There are some boars on the Andes in South America. 



Tint only other form belonging to the Bears whidi inli:il>i(.H our province 

 is the following remarkable animal, and which differs sufficiently to have 

 been classed by Gray in a sub-family, Ailurina. 



Gen. AILURUS, F. Cuvier. 



Chwr. Incisors - ; molars ^^. The crowns of the posterior molars 

 6 G 6 



furnished with salient lull, truncated tubercles ; head sub globose, 1iro;i,<l ; 

 checks tumid ; ears short, acute, distant, hairy ; eyes well in front near 

 it., ii t ill equal to MM- body,eylindrie, with long spreading hair; Holes 



clad with fine down ; claws falcate, compressed, sharp, partly retractile. 

 This curious genus has been considered to have points of resemblance 



to I'.adgers mid llaeoons, and :ils<> to (/w:oAy^:.s-, and by SOUK; even lias 



been compared in external appearance with certain Lemurs ; but there is 

 no doubt that its nearest affinities arc with the '.Bears, whilst it lias one 

 or two points of a (Unity with Hie /'V/mrr or I'ivi'.rri.nu'., vi/., its semi- 

 retraetile talons, and the structure of its genital organs. There is only 

 one known species. 



92. Ailurus fulgens. 



F. CUVIER, Mamm. III. pi. 52. BLYTH, Cat. 219. HARDWICKE, Lin. 

 Trans. XV. 101. A. ochraceus, HODGSON. Wdh, of Nepal. Wdh-donka, 

 Bhot. Sunnam or Suk-nam, "LQpoh.Negalya pony a, of the Nepalosc. 



THE RED CAT-BEAR. 



Dwr. Above deep oehreous-red ; liead nnd tail paler, and some\vh;it 

 fulvous, displayed on the tail in rings ; faee, chin, and ears within white ; 

 cars externally, all the lower Hiirfaco and tlio entire liml>s and tip of tai/ 



