20(i Remarks on Ursus labiatus. 



Another successful way of shooting them is to sit up 

 during the night time in the trees, the fruit of which they 

 come to devour. It requires however much patience, 

 caution, and silence. The sportsman should mount very 

 shortly after sunset and secure a good position, the lower 

 down the better consistent with being well concealed. As 

 the gloom of night deepens, the puffing of the bears slowly 

 approaching may be heard, and they shortly after emerge 

 cautiously and gradually from the dark shades of the jungle. 

 If three or four are collected under the tree and one be shot, 

 the rest will not immediately take to flight, but run to and fro 

 with loud roars, attempting, if they have seen the shooter, 

 to charge or climb up the tree. This, unless it be an ex- 

 ceedingly accessible one, they take an infinite time to do, 

 and afford an unerring aim at the head. Two or three more 

 reports of the fowling piece drive them off altogether, nor will 

 they return to that tree again for several nights. The bear 

 is a bad climber of trees, and cannot ascend them at all 

 unless very rough and gnarled, when he hooks himself up 

 with his long claws ; in the midst of the branches they 

 get on better, but descend backwards like a man, looking 

 helpless and miserable. Trees are often much injured 

 by their attempts at climbing, the back of the lower part 

 of the trunk being rent in every direction by the animal's 

 claws. The popular opinion appears to be that the bear 

 destroys the object of its attack by hugging it to death ; 

 if this be true it refers to other species than our subject, 

 which has never recourse to such means. The Bhaloo, 

 if surprised or attacked closely, rears upright on his hind 

 legs, striking out swiftly with the fore paws, the claws of 

 which cut long deep gashes, and uttering short abrupt 

 grunts the whole time. If he can however surprise a 

 person, so as to approach him unseen through the under- 

 wood &c. his attack is silent and quick. The victim is 

 laid prostrate by a blow of the paw, and cruelly bitten and 

 shaken in the jaws of the animal, who will sometimes not 



