2IO 



Tlir: BEARS. 



degree by its gymnastic tricks and Ijy tlie 

 beseeching, humble, and pitiful attitudes it 

 assumes in beytrinf/' lor a bit of bread. 



too o 



Among the southern bears with a light- 

 coloured neck-fillet and black fur we mention 

 the Malayan or Coco-nut Palm Bear, the 



Bruan of the natives {Ursus vialayanus), fig. 

 J 06, of which a sub-genus has been formed 

 b\- some under the name of Heliarctos. 



It is a very small ugly animal, with a thick 

 head, lank body, pretty long legs, enormous 

 paws and very long strong claws, and with 



T07. 



-•I'Ik; [|- 



lihick iJcar cr SiuLli- 



I I 'r.Ns f.iOhifii^}. 



only three premolars and two molars in each 

 jaw. It may attain the length of about 4^ 

 feet. Its short smooth fur is of a brilliant 

 black except for the whitish -yellow neck- 

 fillet. 



This inhabitant of the .Sunda Islands, 

 Nepal, and Cochin-China is perhaps the most 

 expert climber among all the large bears. 

 It lives exclusively on vegetable lood, and 

 renders itself detested by the natives through 

 the ravages which it commits in the planta- 

 tions. Coco-nuts, which it opens ver)- 

 cleverly, appear to be its favourite daint)'. 

 Wonderful tales are told ol the dexterity 

 with which this bear climbs the smooth 

 stems of the coco-nut palms. His tongue is 



excessi\'(Jy long, anti h , uses it like a noose 

 to pluck the bananas that he cannot other- 

 wise reach. Ot a harmless disposition, he 

 can easiK be tamed when caught \'ery young 

 and kept in the warm moist climate of his 

 native land. The specimens which have 

 been kept in confinement in Europe have 

 been obstinate, dirty, and even ill-natured, 

 and ha\'e endea\'oured to get free, or at 

 least srjught to pass the time, by gnawing 

 at the wood ol their cage. 



1 he Common Indian Black Bear or .Sloth- 

 bear {Ui'siis labia/ lis), fig. 107, which has 

 been taken as the type of a separate sub- 

 genus (Prochilusj,^ is rjne of the most peculiar 



^ It is the Aleliirsiis itrsinits of .Shaw. — Tr. 



