THE -RACOON 221 



to its queer antics. In spite of the number which sports- 

 men have destroyed, this is still one of the commonest 

 wild animals of India, where it ranges from the Hima- 

 layas to Cape Oomorin and Ceylon. The following facts 

 concerning this interesting animal are recorded by 

 Mr. Blanford, F.R.S. ; Its food consists almost entirely 

 of fruits and insects, beetles and their grubs, the honey 

 and young of bees, and the combs of white ants. Its 

 powers of suction and of propelling wind from its mouth 

 are very great, and it is thus enabled to procure its white 

 ant food with ease. On arriving at an anthill the bear 

 scratches away with his forefeet until he reaches the 

 large combs at the bottom of the galleries. He then 

 with violent puffs dissipates the dust and crumbled 

 particles of the nest, and sucks out the inhabitants of 

 the comb by such forcible inhalations as to be heard at 

 two hundred yards distance or more. In southern India 

 these bears are fond of the fermented juice of the wild 

 date palm, and climb trees to get at the pots in which it 

 is collected. The animals are said at times to get drunk 

 with palm juice. They are very fond, too, of sugar-cane, 

 and do much damage to the crops. Bears generally have 

 a habit of sucking their paws and of making at the 

 same time a peculiar humming sound, and this is 

 especially the case with the sloth bear. Except as 

 regards this puffing and humming, the sloth bears are 

 usually silent animals and have no " call " for each other. 

 When surprised or disturbed, however, and especially 

 when wounded, they become very noisy, uttering a 

 series of loud, guttural sounds, and when mortally 

 wounded emitting peculiar wailing cries. As a rule the 

 sloth bear is a timid animal, but occasionally it attacks 

 man savagely, using both its claws and teeth, and 

 clawing the head and face of its victim. Sometimes, 



