THE BROWN BEAR, T5i

can be obtained when we state that one of his fore-paws just
covered an ordinary dinner plate.

The The Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) was the bear
Brown Bear. of the British Isles, so long as the British
Isles boasted of a bear. This was the baited bear of the
Royal sports, and of the common Bear garden. His last
appearance in Great-Britain in a wild state, however, dates
back more than 800 years. In size, shape, and habits he
much resembles the black bear of America. Like the Malayan
bear he is very fond of honey as the following amusing story
as told by Mrs Bowdich will show:

“A countryman in Russia, when seeking honey, climbed a
very high tree, the trunk of which was hollow; and finding
there was a large quantity of comb in it, he descended, and
stuck fast in the tenacious substance there deposited. He
was so far distant from home, that his voice could not be
heard, and he remained two days in this situation, relieving
his hunger with the honey. He began to despair of ever
being extricated, when a bear, who, like himself, came for
the sake of the honey, slid down the hollow, hind-part fore-
most. The man, in spite of his alarm, seized hold of him;
and the bear, also in a great fright, clambered out as fast as
he could, dragging the man up with him, and when clear of
his tail-bearer, made off as fast as possible.”

The The Malayan Bear is about four feet long and
Malayan Bear. two feet high. It has a long tongue which
serves it well in extracting honey from the honey combs in
the hollow trunks of trees. Other bears are the Syrian Bear
of Western Asia, the Spectacled Bear of South America and
Peru and the Sloth Bear of India and the Mahratta country.
SUB-ORDER IJ, We come now to the second sub-order of the

The Carnivora or flesh-eating animals, the sub-order

Pinnipedis. which includes the Seal and the Walrus. These
in the form of their skulls and in other ways show evident rela-
tionship to the bear, and so appropriately follow him in classifica-