238 WANDERINGS OF A 



proceed to Ladakh and Tibet. Young was enthusiastic enough 

 to remain another fortnight in hopes of procuring a good 

 ibex head, and I must say, had not necessity compelled me 

 to beat a retreat, in spite of the dismal prospect and want of 

 proper food (the latter a serious matter to the hard-working 

 hunter), I woidd have willingly braved all the difficulties and 

 dangers with my friend. Our bag for the previous excursion, 

 aind to the breaking-up of our party, amounted to twenty- 

 five bears, eight deer, and three musk-deer, each contri- 

 buting about an equal share. 



The brown or Isabella bear of the Himalayas, if not a 

 variety of, is certainly very closely allied to, that of Europe, 

 northern Asia, and arctic America. The geographical distri- 

 bution of these animals has not been fixed with any certainty. 

 In Asia we find the bear of Siberia and the Altai called the 

 brown bear {U. arctos), whilst our species is said to frequent 

 the Himalayas only. There are evidently no very clear ideas 

 on these points, and considering the facilities for observ- 

 ing their habits and haunts, it is to be greatly wondered at, 

 more especially as we find Dr. Horsfield named the Hima- 

 layan bear Ursus isaheUinus, from a single skin brought 

 from Nepal ; but I shall presently show that the colour varies 

 so much in specimens that seldom two are exactly alike. 

 The distribution of this brown bear on the Himalayas is not 

 so general as that of the black species {Helardos ti^etamts), 

 which is spread over the whole extent of the lesser ranges of 

 the Indian Himalaya, whereas the brown bear is confined to 

 districts, and prefers high and rugged mountains near the 

 confines of perpetual snow, and nowhere is its fancy better 

 gratified than among the noble chains which surround Cash- 

 mere, especially the secluded glens, such as the Wurdwun 

 valley and its offshoots : there bears were at one time very 



