Remarks on Ursus labialus. 203 



ralists in describing the Malay or Thibet bear, which in 

 other points it closely resembles. 



The sucking of the paw, accompanied by a drumming 

 noise when at rest, and chiefly after meals, is peculiar to all 

 the Ursus family, and has been often described and specu- 

 lated on. The idea that the bear does it to suck fat out of 

 its paw has been, I believe, exploded ; I should imagine it 

 merely to be a habit peculiar to the whole race. Some 

 bears, the property of Dr. Egerton of Calcutta, which I saw 

 many years ago, used to be as fond of sucking and humming 

 away at the hand of any person, as at their own paws. 



The voice of the bear is loud and deep ; when irritated he 

 sends out abrupt startling roars, putting to flight sometimes 

 the best shikarree elephants, who are not moved at the 

 hollow, guttural sounds of a roused tiger; when wounded 

 it whines and groans in a most lamentable manner, and the 

 voice has then a strong human expression. It is only during 

 rage or pain, that bears are ever heard. They have no calls 

 to each other, as other animals have, who wander alone through 

 forests at night time ; but during the heat of the day, far 

 down in the fissures of rocks, they may be plainly heard 

 puffing and humming while sucking their paws. The cub is 

 at all times most vociferous, and the cries when the little 

 animal is distressed by pain or hunger closely resemble 

 those of a peevish wayward child. The female, or bitch bear, 

 scarcely differs from the male except in having a duller and 

 rougher coat. The period of pairing and gestation is very un- 

 certain ; it commences about the end of the rains and ceases 

 about April. I have killed she bears with cubs still blind in 

 November, and again while yet pairing with the male late 

 in March. About December or January is the common 

 period, I imagine, for bringing forth. They go with young 

 about seven months, and generally produce two at a birth. 

 The young are blind for three weeks, and covered with very 

 short, soft hair, which after two months begins to assume a 

 rough, crisped appearance. When born they are about the 



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