4 o8 THE ASWAIL, OR SLOTH BEAR. 



possible away from the object which had caused it so much bodily suffering, and can, 

 but seldom be finally captured. 



As a general rule, the Aswail remains within its sheltered den during the hot hours 

 of the day, as its feet seem to be extremely sensitive to heat, and suffer greatly from 

 the bare rocks and stones which have been subjected to the burning rays of that glow- 

 ing Indian sun. On one or two occasions, however, where the wounded Bear had been 

 successfully tracked and killed, the soles of the poor animal's feet were found to be 

 horribly scorched and blistered by the effects of the heated rocks over which the creat- 

 ure had recklessly passed in its haste to escape from its enemies. On account of this 

 extreme sensitiveness of the Aswail's foot, it is very seldom seen by daylight, and is 

 generally captured or killed by hunters, who track it to its sleeping place, and then 

 attack their drowsy prey. 



The Aswail is said never to eat vertebrate animals except on very rare occasions, 

 when it is severely pressed by hunger. Its usual diet consists of various roots, bees'- 

 nests, together with their honey and young bees, grubs, snails, slugs, and ants, of which 

 insects it is extremely fond, and which it eats in very great numbers. Probably on 

 account of its mode of feeding, its flesh is in much favor as an article of diet, and 

 though rather coarse in texture, is said by those who have had practical experience of 

 its qualities to be extremely good. 



The fat of this Bear is very highly valued among the natives and the European resi- 

 dents, being used chiefly for the lubrication of the delicate steel work that is employed 

 in the interior of gun-locks. For this purpose the fat is prepared in a similar manner 

 to that of the tiger, being cut into long strips, forced into closely stoppered bottles, and 

 placed during the entire day in the blazing rays of the sun. The powerful sunbeams 

 soon melt the fat into a homogeneous mass, and when the evening begins to draw on, 

 the contents of the bottle are found to settle into a firm and white substance, which has 

 the property of remaining untainted even in that heated climate, where, if no such pre- 

 caution were taken, it would in a very few hours become a mass of putrescent abomina- 

 tion. The prepared fat is especially valuable for gun-locks, as it preserves the bright 

 steel from rust, and does not clog by constant service, as is the case with almost every 

 other animal oil. 



In connection with this subject it may be as well to mention that the ordinary " trotter 

 oil," or " neats'-foot oil," may be prepared for the most delicate work in a similar man- 

 ner. If a bottle of this oil be placed in the sun's rays, and a few strips of lead dropped 

 into the vessel, an extraordinary heavy deposit begins to take place, and fills the lower 

 part of the bottle. The upper part, however, remains bright and limpid as crystal, 

 and by a repetition of the same process may be so effectually purified that it will never 

 be liable to that annoying viscidity which detracts so much from the value of animal 

 oils that have been for some time in use. It is in this manner that watchmakers 

 purify the oil for the lubrication of the delicate machinery of their trade. 



Very little is known of the habits of this Bear while in its wild state, but it would ap- 

 pear from the conduct of two young animals that inhabited the same cage in the Zoo- 

 logical Gardens, that it must be a gentle and affectionate creature. 



It is, at all events, known that the maternal Aswail is in the habit of carrying on her 

 back those of her offspring that are not able to make full use of their own means of 

 progression. The two animals that were kept in the Zoological Gardens were accus- 

 tomed to lie close to each other, and while in that easy position used to suck their paws 

 after the usual ursine fashion, uttering at the same time a kind of bearish purr, as an 

 expression of contentment. This sound, although it partakes of the nature of a whine, 

 admixed with the purr, is not without a musical intonation, and may be heard at some 

 little distance. Indeed, it has not unfrequently happened that the Bear has been be- 

 trayed to its pursuers by the continuous sound which it utters while lying half asleep 

 within its den. 



The hair which covers the body and limbs is of singular length, especially upon the 

 back of the neck and the head, imparting a strange and grotesque appearance to the 

 animal. The color of the fur is of a deep black, interspersed here and there with hairs of 

 a brownish hue. Upon the breast, a forked patch of whitish hairs is distinctly visible. 



