158 BOTANIC GARDENS MENAGERIE. 



a bottle of beer which as he found it contained liquid, he lay on 

 his back to drink, after which he played with the bottle for 

 some time, balancing it on his hind feet and tossing it about, 

 and then suddenly jumping up and holding it in both paws re- 

 turned it to the sailors to be filled up again, which created 

 much amusement. He was very powerful and on one occasion 

 broke an iron bar an inch through with ease, and could bite 

 up an inch-plank as easily as a man could bite a piece of soft 

 bread. I have seen trees in the forest with the trunks torn 

 to splinters by wild bears in search of honey. This bear died 

 of pneumonia during a season of influenza when several other 

 animals succumbed. A large female formerly belonging to a 

 resident was presented and given him as a companion. As is 

 often the case in private houses this bear had been so teased 

 by the Chinese servants that its temper was quite spoilt and 

 it took a long time to get her tame again. It was hoped to 

 breed from the pair, but the female suffered from an uterine 

 disease for which nothing could be done, and which proved 

 fatal. A small bear was put in the same cage with Jelebu, and 

 the two were quite friendly for some time but a quarrel took 

 place and the small bear was killed. 



The Borneo variety was frequently also on view. It is 

 rather smaller than the Malayan form. In its wild state the 

 bear inhabits low swampy parts of the forests, where I have 

 occasionally come across them, or heard them scurry off. It 

 gives a kind of barking snort when annoyed, and when pleased 

 or sucking its paws it makes a low humming noise. I have 

 also heard near the caves at Kuala Lumpur a peculiar loud hum- 

 ming grunt often repeated which was said to be the cry of a 

 bear which was fully three quarters of a mile away. 



Melursus ur sinus. 



A sloth bear was kept for some time in 1875. 



EODENTIA. 

 Batufa bicolor. 



Several color forms of this handsome squirrel have been 

 kept. It lives well in captivity and becomes very tame. The 



Jour. Straits Branch 



