L60 VERTEBRATA. 



it i> supposed to 1"' rather less. An individual which was exhibited in the Tower of London 

 measured along the back from muzzle to tail three feel nine inches. It was obtained in Borneo 

 when very young, and during the voyage, was the constant associate <>f a monkey and other 

 animal-. In confinement, its manners greatly resembled those of the Malayan hear. Its 

 habits in a state of nature do oot appear 1" be known. Dr. Horsfield, speaking of it in 

 captivity, says : "The Helarctos readily distinguishes the keeper, and evinces an attachment to 

 him. On his approach, il employs all its efforts to obtain food, seconding them by emitting 

 a coarse bul nol unpleasant whining sound. This it continues while, it consumes its food, 

 alternately with a low grunting noise; but if teased at this time, it suddenly raises its voice and 

 utters at intervals harsh and grating sounds. It is excessively voracious, and appears to be 

 disposed to eat without cessation. When in a good-humor, it often amuses the spectators in a 

 different manner. Calmly seated in its apartment, it expands the jaws, and protrudes its long 

 and Blender tongue. It displays on many occasions not only much gentleness of disposition, 

 but likewise a considerable degree of sagacity. It appears conscious of the kind treatment 

 it receivi - from its keeper. <>n seeing him, it often places itself in a variety of attitudes to court 

 hi< attention and caresses, extending its nose and anterior feet, or suddenly turning round, 

 exposing his hack, and waiting for several minutes in this attitude, with his head placed on the 

 ground. It delights in being patted and rubbed, and even allows strangers to do this; but it 

 violently resents abuse and ill treatment ; and, having been irritated, refuses to be courted while 

 the offending person remains in sight.'" The individual whose manners are here described fell a 

 victim to its voracity. During the hot weather in the summer of 1828, it overgorged itself one 

 morning, and died within ten minutes after the meal. 



W e dow come to the American Bears. The most formidable animal upon this continent, and 

 th( only one thai in general attacks mankind, is the Grizzly Bear, the U. ferox of Lewis and 

 Clark, who first accurately described it; the U. horribilis of Say, and the Meeshek Musquaw 

 of the Cree Indians. Its length is from six to nine feet; its weight from four hundred "to 

 il hundred pounds. In form it resembles the European bear. Its fore-claws, which are much 

 curved, measure six inches. This part of its organization is well adapted for digging, but not 

 for climbing, and the adult grizzly bear does not ascend trees, although the young ones 

 frequently do. The muzzle is lengthened, narrowed, and flattened, and the canine teeth are 

 highly developed. The tail is very small, and so entirely lost in the hair which covers the 

 haunche-, that it is a standing joke among the Indian hunters, when they have killed a grizzly 

 bear, to desire any one unacquainted with the animal to take hold of its tail. The hair is 

 abundant, long, and varying through most of the intermediate gradations between yellowish gray 

 and blackish brown, which last is prevalent, and more or less grizzled. It is difficult to find two 

 specimens alike in their color. The young are generally black, or nearly so. On the muzzle 

 the hair is pale and short ; on the legs, it is darker and coarser. The eyes are small, and rather 

 sunk in the head. 



The haunts ,,f this animal are the Rocky Mountains, and the plains to the eastward of them. 

 1 1" > ■He also common in < lalifornia, and are met with in the nortlnvestern British territories as far 

 as latitude 61°. They generally seek the marshy districts, thickly covered with trees and bushes, 

 among which they have their lairs. They ramble about in search of food both by night ami day. 

 In general, their aspect and manner are in the highest degree savage and morose, hut it appears 

 from the accounts <>t' travelers that the almost universal love of fun implanted in the animal cre- 

 ation invades tin- breasts of these horrid monsters. The young grizzlies, we are told, when they 

 deem themselves alone in their solitary abodes,, have their bo-peep, leap-frog, and wrestling as 

 well as other bears, and sometimes the gruff and gnarled old fathers and mothers lend their 

 countenances to these Bports. Their diet consists ra p ;l rt of wild plums, buffalo-berries, and other 

 stable dainties; hut flesh is their chosen food. Any animal they can seize falls a prey to 

 their voracity. The young ones, and the she-hears with young, hibernate : the older males 

 ramble about during the winter as at other times. 



Unwieldy as this animal appears, it is capable of great rapidity of motion, and its strength is 

 overpowering. The bison contends with it in vain. The conqueror drags the enormous carcass, 



