T7RSUS TIBETAKUS. 71 



This bear is only found, within our province, on the Himalayas, but it is 

 also found in the hill ranges of Assam. Its specific name is unfortunate, 

 since it is rare in Thibet. In summer it is generally found at a consider- 

 able elevation, 9 to 12,000 feet or so;' and often close to snow; but in 

 winter it descends to 5,000 feet, and even lower sometimes. It lives chief- 

 ly on fruits and roots, apricots, walnuts, apples, currants, &c., also on vari- 

 ous grains, barley, Indian com, buck-wheat, &c.; and in winter chiefly 

 feeds on various acorns, climbing the oak trees and breaking down the 

 branches ; and it is not uncommon to find one early in the morning in an 

 oak tree, close to some dweffing house or village. Occasionally, when 

 urged by hunger, they will destroy the crops of barley, buck-wheat, &c., in 

 broad day-light, also the cucumbers and pumkins planted close to the 

 villages, and trailing over the huts. They are very fond of honey, and 

 occasionally pull down the honey from the hives kept by the hill people, 

 and built into their huts. Now and then they will kill sheep, goats, 

 &c., and are said occasionally to eat flesh. They often visit the village 

 mill, licking up the remnants of flour. During the day-time they take 

 shelter in the interior of some decayed tree, or among rocks, occasion- 

 ally in some thick clump of trees. The female brings forth her young, 

 generally two in number, in some den or cave among rocks. 



This bear has bad eye-sight, but great power of smell, and if approached 

 from windward is sure to take alarm. A wounded bear will sometimes 

 show fight, but in general it tries to escape. It is said sometimes to coil 

 itself into the form of a ball, and thus roll down steep hills, if frightened or 

 wounded. If met suddenly where there is no means of escape, it will attack 

 man at once ; and, curious to say, it always mauls the face, sometimes tak- 

 ing off most of the hairy scalp and frightfully disfiguring the unfortunate 

 sufferer. There are few villages in the interior, where one or more indivi- 

 duals thus mutilated are not to be met with. It has been noticed that if 

 caught in a noose or snare, if they cannot break it by force, they never 

 have the intelligence to bite the rope in two, but remain till they die or are 

 killed. In captivity this bear, if taken young, is very quiet and playfiil, but 

 is not so docile as the next species. Like others of its kind, it is fond of 

 sucking its own or its neighbour's paws. An imperfect skin of a bear from 

 Thibet, termed the "Blue bear," was pronounced by Blyth to be a variety 

 of Tibetanus. The fur was softer and longer than in the ordinary race 

 black with hoary tips, which impart a very, characteristic appearance. 



Ursus malayanus is a very closely allied species of bear, inhabiting 



