X 
THE BEAR 
347 
by the brown bears, which ascend in search of 
cherries, plums, apples, walnuts, and sweet chest¬ 
nuts. The heavy animal knows full well that the 
extremity of the boughs will not support its weight, 
it therefore stands erect upon a strong limb and 
tears down the smaller fruit-laden branches within 
its reach. Although bears are numerous through¬ 
out the forests, there is only one season when they 
can be successfully hunted ; this is in late autumn, 
when the fruits are closing their maturity, and the 
apples and nuts are falling to the ground. The 
bears then descend from the mountain heights, and 
may be found late in the evening or before sunrise 
in the neighbourhood of such food. 
Asia Minor and Syria possess two distinct 
varieties of bears, although the countries are closely 
connected, and these animals are not inhabitants of 
the same district. The Syrian bear is smaller than 
the ordinary brown bear, and would hardly exceed 
300 lbs. in weight. The fur is a mixed and dis¬ 
agreeable colour, a dusky gray of somewhat rusty 
appearance, but blanched in portions as though by 
age. This species is to be found at the present day 
upon Mount Horeb, and the natives assured me 
that, when the grapes are ripe, it is necessary to 
protect them by watchers armed with guns, to scare 
the bears during night. 
Wild animals which hybernate have a peculiar 
instinct for selecting hiding-places, which can seldom 
be discovered; in these they lie, free from all 
intrusion. 
