32 * 
THE ASWAIL, OR SLOTH BEAR. 
X/ike that animal, it can sit or stand on its hinder limbs with the greatest ease, and pos- 
sesses nearly as much flexile power of lip and tongue as the Brnang. It has a curious habit 
of placing its superabundant food upon its hinder paws, as if to guard it from the defilement 
of sand or dust, and feeds itself by slow degrees with dainty carefulness. 
It is extremely fond of fruits and various vegetables, and is, in its native country, a 
dreaded foe to the cocoa-nut trees and their fruit. The animal is so excellent a climber that 
it cannot be baffled by loftiness of trunk or smoothness of bark ; and when the creature has 
attained the summit of the tree it frequently destroys the life of the tree by devouring the 
topmost shoot for the sake of its delicate succulence. The cocoa-nuts themselves are objects 
of interest to the Bornean Bruang, who is extremely fond of the peculiarly-flavored liquid 
that is found in the interior of the nut ; and when he has reached a cluster of ripe nuts will 
tear them from the tree and fling them on the ground. 
In captivity it is gentle, playful, and amusing, and possesses very curious and almost 
ludicrous habits, which render it an object of interest to its visitors. Profoundly sensible of 
human sympathies, and almost as fond of notice as a cat, the Bornean Bruang will accept with 
evident delight the caresses of its visitors, and is pleased to be patted or stroked by kindly 
hands, provided that it does not happen to be in a bad humor at the time. Should the animal 
consider itself to be insulted — a matter of rather frequent occurrence — it will contumeliously 
reject all advances, and will not consent to receive any mark of attention until the offender 
is fairly out of sight. 
Unwieldy in its movements, and grotesque in its form, the Aswail, or Sloth Beau, 
is one of the most curious members of this group of animals. It is found in the mountainous 
parts of India, and is equally dreaded and admired by the natives of the same country. 
Although a sufficiently harmless creature if permitted to roam unmolested among its 
congenial scenery of mountain and precipice, it is at the same time an extremely dangerous 
foe if its slumbering passions are aroused by wounds or bodily pain of any kind. It needs, 
however, that the wound be tolerably severe to induce the animal to turn upon the person 
that inflicted the injury ; for should it only be slightly wounded, it runs forward in a straight 
line, as if it were actuated by the one idea of getting as far as possible away from the object 
which had caused it so much bodily suffering, and can but seldom be finally captured. 
As a general rule, the Aswail remains within its sheltered den during the hot hours of the 
day, as its feet seem to be extremely sensitive to heat, and suffer greatly from the bare rocks 
and stones which have been subjected to the burning rays of that glowing Indian sun. On 
one or two occasions, however, where the wounded Bear had been successfully tracked and 
killed, the soles of the poor animal’s feet were found to be horribly scorched and blistered by 
the effects of the heated rocks over which the creature had recklessly passed in its haste to 
escape from its enemies. 
On account of this extreme sensitiveness of the Aswail’ s foot, it is very seldom seen by 
daylight, and is generally captured and killed by hunters who track it to its sleeping-place, 
and then attack their drowsy prey. 
The Aswail is said never to eat vertebrate animals except on very rare occasions, when it 
is severely pressed by hunger. Its usual diet consists of various roots, bees’ nests, together 
with their honey and young bees, grubs, snails, slugs, and ants, of which insects it is extremely 
fond, and which it eats in very great numbers. 
Probably on account of its mode of feeding, its flesh is in much favor as an article of diet, 
and though rather coarse in texture, is said by those who have had practical experience of its 
qualities to be extremely good. 
The fat of this Bear is very highly valued among the natives and the European residents, 
being used chiefly for the lubrication of the delicate steel work that is employed in the interior 
of gun-locks. For this purpose the fat is prepared in a similar manner to that of the tiger, 
being cut into long strips, forced into closely stoppered bottles, and placed during the entire 
day in the blazing rays of the sun. The powerful sunbeams soon melt the fat 'into a homo- 
geneous mass, and when the evening begins to draw on, the contents of the bottle are found to 
