io CARNIVORES. 



brown bear may be due to the circumstance that it inhabits more open ground 

 than the European variety. To this I would add that the silver-barked birch, 

 among which these bears are so often found, suggests another reason why their 

 colour should so generally be comparatively light, as among such surroundings a 

 dark animal would be conspicuous. Moreover, it may be that the snow lies 

 longer on the ground in the regions frequented by the Himalayan bear than is the 



THE BROWN BEAR (^ nat. size). 



case in the habitats of the European bear. It should also be mentioned that 

 Himalayan bears are decidedly lighter when they issue from their winter sleeping- 

 places than they are later on in the season ; and as it is then that they are 

 generally shot, on account of the fur being in its best condition, the prevalent 

 idea as to their extremely light colour has been intensified. 



Although, as in the other species of the genus, the males are considerably 

 larger than the females, there is nearly as much variation in point of size in the 

 brown bear as there is in respect of colour. As a rule, the Himalayan race is- 



