160 
YERTEBRATA. 
it is supposed to be rather less. An individual whicli was exhibited in the Tower of London 
measured along the back from muzzle to tail three feet nine inches. It was obtained in Borneo 
when very young, and during the voyage, was the constant associate of a monkey and other 
animals. In confinement, its manners greatly resembled those of the Malayan bear. Its 
habits in a state of nature do not appear to be known. Dr. Horsfield, speaking of it in 
captivit)^, says : " The Helarctos readily distinguishes the keeper, and evinces an attachment to 
him. On his approach, it employs all its efforts to obtain food, seconding them by emitting 
a coarse but not unpleasant whining sound. This it continues while it consumes its food, 
alternately with a low grunting noise ; but if teased at this time, it suddenly raises its voice and 
utters at intervals harsh and grating sounds. It is excessively voracious, and appears to be 
disposed to eat without cessation. When in a good-humor, it often amuses the spectators in a 
diflerent manner. Calmly seated in its apartment, it expands the jaws, and protrudes its long 
and slender tongue. It displays on many occasions not only much gentleness of disposition, 
but likewise a considerable degree of sagacity. It appears conscious of the kind treatment 
it receives from its keeper. On seeing him, it often places itself in a variety of attitudes to court 
his attention and caresses, extending its nose and anterior feet, or suddenly turning round, 
exposing his back, and waiting for several minutes in this attitude, with his head placed on the j 
ground. It delights in being patted and rubbed, and even allows strangers to do this ; but it j 
violently resents abuse and ill treatment ; and, having been irritated, refuses to be courted while j 
the offending person remains in sight." The individual whose manners are here described fell a \ 
victim to its voracity. During the hot weather in the summer of 1828, it overgorged itself one ' 
morning, and died within ten minutes after the meal. j 
We now come to the American Bears. The most formidable animal upon this continent, and ' 
the only one that in general attacks mankind, is the Grizzly Bear, the U. ferox of Lewis and \ 
Clark, who first accurately described it; the U. horribilis of Say, and the Meesheh Musquaio 
of the Cree Indians. ' Its length is fi'om six to nine feet ; its weight from four hundred to 
eight hundred pounds. In form it resembles the European bear. Its fore-claws, which are much i 
curved, measure six inches. This part of its organization is well adapted for digging, but not 
for climbing, and the adult grizzly bear does not ascend trees, although the young ones 
frequently do. The muzzle is lengthened, narrowed, and flattened, and the canine teeth are 
highly developed. The tail is very small, and so entirely lost in the hair which covers the ; 
haunches, that it is a standing joke among the Indian hunters, when they have killed a grizzly ' 
bear, to desire any one unacquainted with the animal to take hold of its tail. The hair is 
abundant, long, and varying through most of the intermediate gradations between yellowish gray 
and blackish brown, which last is prevalent, and more or less grizzled. It is difficult to find two 
specimens alike in their color. The young are generally black, or nearly so. On the muzzle, 
the hair is pale and short ; on the legs, it is darker and coarser. Tlie eyes are small, and rather 
sunk in the head. 
The haunts of this animal are the Rocky Mountains, and the plains to the eastward of them. 
They are also common in California, and are met with in the northwestern British territories as far 
as latitude 61°. They generally seek the marshy districts, thickly covered with trees and bushes, \ 
among which they have their lairs. They ramble about in search of food both by night and day. 
In general, their aspect and manner are in the highest degree savage and morose, but it appears 
from the accounts of travelers that the almost universal love of fun implanted in the animal cre- 
ation invades the breasts of these horrid monsters. The young grizzlies, we are told, when they 
deem themselves alone in their solitary abodes, have their bo-peep, leap-frog, and wrestling as 
well as other bears, and sometimes the gruff and gnarled old fathers and mothers lend their 
countenances to these sports. Their diet consists in part of wild plums, buffalo-berries, and other 
vegetable dainties ; but flesh is their chosen food. Anj;^ animal they can seize falls a prey to 
their voracity. The young ones, and the she-bears with young, hibernate : the older males 
ramble about during the winter as at other times. 
Unwieldy as this animal appears, it is capable of great rapidity of motion, and its strength is 
overpowering. The bison contends with it in vain. The conqueror drags the enormous carcass, 
i 
