BEARS. 169 



Society is generally very complete, and usually contains, besides 

 specimens of the foregoing animals, fine examples of some of the 

 rarer species, such as the Sloth bear {Ursvs lahiatus), Syrian 

 bear {JJrsus syriacus). Spectacled bear (ZJrsiis ornaiiis), Malayan 

 bear {JJrsus malayanus), Himalayan bear {JJrsus tibetanus), and 

 the Hairy-eared bear {JJrsus lascotis). 



The Sloth bear {JJrsus Lahiatus) is rather an uncouth-looking 

 animal, very little smaller than the brown bear. It is found 

 throughout India and Ceylon, being very abundant in some parts, 

 and affords good hunting to the sportsmen, by whom it is called 

 the Indian black bear. In some districts it is spoken of as the 

 sloth bear, and in others as the jungle bear ; in fact it is an 

 animal of many names. It lives in the natural caverns and re- 

 cesses of the rugged hills or rocky places that occur in many 

 parts of the peninsula. Its food consists of honey, fruits, and 

 the white ants, also the larvse of huge longicorn beetles, which 

 issue from the ground on the top of the high ranges of mountains 

 during certain seasons. 



These bears are dangerous, and can inflict fearful wounds; 

 they often attack the wood-cutters and others who come acci- 

 dentally across them when returniug to their lairs in the morn- 

 ing, or at other times when moving their quarters in consequence 

 of being disturbed, and they sadly maul and often kill these 

 unfortunate people. 



When they are pursued, they carry their cubs on their backs, 

 and can travel at considerable speed with them in this position. 



Tickell* states, " The power of suction in the bear, as well as 

 of propelling wind from its mouth, is very great. It is by this 

 means it is enabled to procure its common food of white ants and 

 larvEB with ease. On arriving at an ant-hill, the bear scrapes 

 away with the fore-feet until he reaches the large combs at the 

 bottom of the galleries. He then with violent pufEs 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 200 yards' distance or more. Large larvae are in this way 

 sucked out from great depths under the soil. Where bears abound, 



* See Jerdon's " Mammals of India." 



