RUSSIAN DEARS. 251 



surements, or examine it more closely, for fear of 

 exciting suspicion. 



In the following spring, as we were returning 

 from Koko-nor to Chobsen, one morning, on the 

 borders of a forest in Kan-su, we saw one of these 

 bears wild and engaged in catching alpine hares. 

 We went towards it ; but it made off, and although 

 pursued by our dogs, never turned to bay. We 

 fired several long shots after the bear, but only 

 wounded it, and to our extreme regret it got off. 



The one we saw in Koko-nor, as far as we could 

 judge in the distance, was of the same colour as the 

 stuffed specimen we had seen at the temple, but 

 rather larger, and about equal in size to our flesh- 

 eater ; ' it seemed to have an unusual long body, and 

 a kind of hump on its back. 



The Mongols told us that they were plentiful on 

 the Burkhan Buddha and Shuga ranges, where they 

 inhabit the rocky parts, in summer, however, de- 

 scending to the plains ; and said they had even been 

 seen on the banks of the Murui-ussu. 



After passing the latter part of May in the cen- 

 tral forest belt, we descended to the valley of the 

 Tatung, and remained there a week, making daily 

 shooting excursions as before ; but our supply of 

 small shot was soon expended, and we had to give 

 up shooting small birds. Of eggs we obtained but a 

 few ; many of the birds not having begun to lay, 



^ There are three kinds of bears in Russia : the miasnik or flesh- 

 eater, so called because it attacks cattle, the oi'siannik or corn-eater, 

 and the viurovcd ox ant-bear. — M. 



