

4 BEARS. 



the topes, smash the chatties, and lap up their contents to 

 such an extent that they frequently become fuddled, and 

 have difficulty in finding their way home. 



I have only once seen bears in this state ; but the 

 toddy-wallahs men who look after the topes declare it 

 is of common occurrence. 



However, as a perfectly sober bear behaves in a 

 peculiar way as a rule, and conducts himself irregularly, 

 these statements must be received with reserve. The bear 

 is also very fond of mangoes, sugar cane, wild figs, and 

 many kinds of jungle fruits and roots ; likewise grubs of 

 sorts, to find which he upsets the stones under which 

 they take refuge. So, wherever you find stones thus 

 displaced, and ant-hills dug up, bears may be expected in 

 the vicinity. With his excellent nose he discovers the 

 nests of the large tree bee of India, and the trunks and 

 branches will be found scored by his claws, in his 

 endeavours to reach them ; but, as these nests are 

 generally suspended from light branches, at a good height 

 from the ground, he can but seldom succeed ; nor can he 

 get at the nests of the rock bee, which are usually hung 

 from an inaccessible ledge. The thick shaggy hide is 

 quite proof against bee stings ; but his nose is very tender, 

 and in robbing the nests of ground bees he often gets 

 severe punishment on this organ. The sportsman should 

 give the nests of both rock and tree bees a wide berth ; 

 they are large and malignant insects, and will attack man 

 or beast with slight provocation. On one occasion we 

 were driven out of a camp under some mango trees, in 

 which a colony of bees existed, the smoke from our 

 camp fire bringing them down in dozens ; but, luckily, 

 it was after sunset, and we effected our retreat without 

 much suffering, only two of the servants being stung. 



