Thibetan Zoology. 567 



lipped bear of naturalists, and common to many other parts of 

 India; this last species is never known to cross the outer range, 

 though it mounts along the southern side of it to feed, retiring again 

 to its base where it usually resides ; it has been well described in 

 this country by Captain Tickell, who also gives a figure of it 

 in the Calcutta Journal of Natural History. It appears to be a 

 far more shy and sullen animal than the Thibet bear, which last, 

 if taken young and well treated, is usually very good tempered. 

 Even if by the rigours of a severe winter the " Ursus Thibetanus" 

 is ever forced to descend into the Doon, which we doubt, the eleva- 

 tion of its range would still be above that which Dr. Jameson has 

 assigned to it, for the elevation of the Doon is given at 2,500 and 

 Rajpore at 3,500 feet above the sea ; how then the animal can range 

 in those places " from 1,000 feet (the elevation of Saharanpore !) to 

 14,000 feet," is a problem which we shall leave to be solved by the 

 sagacity of our author ! But even allowing that the animal may 

 sometimes descend to the Doon, its stay there is very short, and is 

 occasioned by the inclemency of an unusually severe winter, a thing in 

 fact which may possibly occur once in a dozen years, and as soon as 

 the temperature above becomes milder by the return of fair weather, 

 away goes bruin back to the higher hills ; consequently its ap- 

 pearance in the Doon must be regarded as accidental and extraordi- 

 nary, and can be allowed no weight in fixing the range of the species ; 

 we are however by no means prepared to admit, that this accidental 

 occurrence in the Doon, ever does take place. * 



The third species of black bear is as yet scarcely determined to our 

 satisfaction, although of its existence there can be no doubt ; it 

 appears to be most nearly related to the " Ursus Malayanus" or 

 Malay bear, and inhabits the same regions as the Thibet bear, than 

 which however it is much more rare ; it occurs among the wooded 

 mountains of the western Himalayas, and was some years ago noticed 

 by Mr. Hodgson among the Mammalia of Nepaul. The animal 

 is black, with a white chin and pectoral crescent, its chief pecu- 

 liarity consisting apparently in the colour of the head, which from 

 the muzzle to the roots of the ears is of a dull rusty-red. The 

 natives call it the " Bowna Reach," and say it becomes larger than 



