THE SNOW BEAR. 43 



become torpid like the Hedgehog and Dormouse, or whether they still retain their faculties. 

 The reason why they are not found is, of course, that their retreats are probably buried 

 under many feet of snow, while there is no clue to their whereabouts. Their skins are in 

 best order when they first show themselves in the early spring, as not only is the hair longest 

 at this season, but the hide itself is comparatively free from grease, and therefore more 

 easily cured. 



When they first appear, the Bears may be found on all the open spots on the hill-side 

 where the snow has melted, turning over rocks in search of insects, digging for roots, or 

 feeding on the young sprouts of grass and various herbs. About this time the young ones 

 are born, and may be seen accompanying their mother when little bigger than Skye terriers. 

 As the season advances, the Bears scatter all over the hills, and may be frequently found 

 at great elevations, far above the forest. 



Although endowed with most acute powers of scent, the Bear is a very blind animal, 

 and if care be taken to avoid giving him the wind, no animal is more easily stalked. He is 

 uncouth and grotesque in all his movements, and I, for one, can never watch a Bear without 

 laughing at his absurd appearance. The Kashmiris have so low an idea of Bruin's intelli- 

 gence, that they apply the name of ' Hdrpat ' to any peculiarly stupid and loutish individual. 



One whiff of the human scent, and however busily a Bear may be employed, up goes 

 his nose in the air ; he may probably rise on his hind legs to try and obtain a view of his 

 unseen enemy ; and after looking very uncomfortable and highly ridiculous for a few 

 moments, he will shuffle off to the nearest cover. Get well to leeward of him, however ; keep 

 your eye on him so as to remain motionless when he looks up ; and by moving slowly you 

 may approach within easy shot on the most open ground. On receiving a shot which is not 

 immediately fatal, the Snow Bear usually utters a grunt or two, and then rushes off with a 

 peculiar rolling action which is very laughable. He does not always seem to know where 

 he is going to, and he may rush close past a sportsman's legs without having the least idea 

 of his proximity. This rush is often called charging, the real fact being that the poor brute 

 is merely trying to escape. If any one happens to be in the way he will probably suffer, 

 a hastily aimed blow with the formidably armed forepaw causing a terrible wound if it does 

 take effect. Though I have shot a good many Bears I have never seen one charge, and I 

 think I am justified in saying that it is very seldom indeed that one of this species will 

 deliberately attack a man. 



In our childish days Bears were always associated with Wolves, Lions, and Tigers, as 

 being most ferocious and terrible wild beasts. We were told of their deliberate way of hug- 

 ging their victims to death ; while their taste for wholesale slaughter was exemplified by the 

 Biblical story of the fate which befel the hapless children who ventured to 'chaff' a pro- 

 phet. Even in those days of infantine orthodoxy we probably thought the punishment 

 rather out of proportion to the crime, though we may not have ventured to say so : in the 

 present age of scepticism the reader may perhaps not be shocked at being told that those 

 murderers of the innocents must at least have been very exceptional Bears ! — probably pro- 

 vided for the occasion ! 



