432 Brown and Black Bears of the Himalayan Mountains. 



tained until autumn, and after the new coat has gained con- 

 siderable length. It is analogous to that of the wild and 

 tame goats and sheep of Thibet, and more or less pervades 

 all the quadrupeds of the high and snowy ranges ; moreover, 

 the pheasants, partridges, finches, and other birds have their 

 winter plumage remarkably soft and downy. We need scarcely 

 remark that it is this substance which forms the celebrated 

 Cashmere shawls. The peshmena of the ibex is softer than that 

 of the tame goat of Thibet. Although larger and more 

 powerful than the black bear of the Himalaya, the Isabella 

 bear readily turns tail when confronted by its rival. We have 

 often watched two individuals unconsciously approaching each 

 other even within a few yards, when, as soon as they became 

 aware of their proximity, with a grunt sable bruin rushed on 

 his foe, whilst the other beat a hasty retreat, and only dis- 

 tanced his pursuer among rocky and precipitous parts, where 

 the brown bear always finds himself the better cragsman ; we 

 have often come accidentally upon Isabella bears asleep on 

 snowdrifts and in hollows of glaciers, where the animal is fond 

 of basking in the heat of the day, chiefly for coolness, but 

 also to escape annoyance from insects. In spring it feeds at 

 all hours, but when strength and vigour return, and supplies 

 are ample, it prefers the night and cool of the morning, 

 possibly for the same reasons. Its fur is infested by a large 

 flat parasite, which evidently occasions great discomfort and 

 irritation, driving the animal to seek ponds and rivers, where 

 it bathes frequently. The dimensions of the Isabella bear vary 

 considerably, old males sometimes measure 7 1 feet in length, 

 and stand as high as 3| feet at the shoulder. The average 

 length, however, is about 6-^ feet, and 4 to 4|- for a she-bear. 

 It is generally distributed over the Alpine forests, and when it 

 regains its vigour in spring seldom remains long in one 

 locality ; there are, however, certain individuals (usually old 

 males) that select spots where they remain for years, most 

 commonly a steep ridge running up to a bed of snow, where 

 the animal's den is situated, whilst below, a pool or spring in 

 a shady situation, serves its wants for drinking and bathing ; 

 such hermit bears seldom roam far from their retreats, and by 

 constantly treading in the same footprints, wear out hollows 

 on the softer soil, like " steps of stairs," which may be seen 

 extending in unbroken succession for long distances. 



Several killed by us were all very old he-bears, with their 

 teeth considerably worn, and not a few had the canines broken 

 or worn down to a level with the other teeth, whilst the molars 

 were perfectly smooth on the crown. It would appear that 

 the bears of other countries, and several other animals, such 

 as the lion, tiger, deer, etc., when old take themselves to 



