Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume II.djvu/438

 418 BEAR Hindostan and the lion to that of central Africa, is of comparatively late discovery, having been first distinguished by Lewis and Clarke in their western explorations. Its geographical range his race. It' it be not certain that he will vol- untarily attack a human being, it is certain that if attacked he will pursue the assailant to the last, nor quit the conflict while life remains. He is also the most tenacious of life of all ani- mals. One shot by Gov. Clarke's party, after receiving ten balls in his body, four of which passed through his lungs and two through his heart, survived above 20 minutes, and swam half a mile, before succumbing to his wounds. The cave bear (U. spelaus), larger than the grisly bear, lived in the caverns of Europe in the post-tertiary epoch. The European brown bear (U. aretos) and the American black bear {U. Americanvs) are closely allied, and are very similar in habits, although the former is fiercer and more sanguinary, especially as he Grisly Bear (Ursus horribtlis). is from the great plains west of the Missouri, at the foot of the Rocky mountains, through Upper California to the Pacific ocean. Its characteristics are strongly marked and clear. " The line of its forehead and muzzle is straighter than in any other species ; and its claws, espe- cially those of the fore feet, are much more produced and far more crooked, though its general habit is not that of a climber. The snout is black and movable, the central furrow being distinct ; the lips are partially extensile ; the eyes very small, having no third eyelid, and the irides being of reddish brown. The ears are short and rounded, and the line of the forehead thence to the eyes is a little convex, but it continues straight to the point of the snout. The hair on the face is very short, but on the body generally it is long and very thickly set. The hair in the adult is a mixture of brown, white, and black. The tail is short, and in the living animal completely hidden by the hair. On the fore paws the claws are rather slender, but long, as well as crooked and sharp at the tips, though the sharpness is rather that of a chisel, by being narrowed at the edges, than a point. This structure gives the tips of them great additional strength, and ac- counts for the severe gashing wounds which are inflicted by their stroke. The soles of the hind feet are in great part naked, and the claws on them are considerably smaller than those on the fore paws, though much more crooked ; and their trenchant points form very terrible lacerating instruments when the animal closes with its enemy in hugging. They are sufficient to tear the abdomen even of a large ani- mal to shreds, while the fore paws are at the same time compressing the thorax to suffoca- tion." The grisly bear is the most savage of Black Bear (Ursus Americanus). grows old, when he will, though rarely, attack men, particularly if he have once tasted human blood. They are both excellent climbers, pas- sionately fond of honey, great devourers of roots, green wheat, and in America green maize, and especial enemies to hogs and young calves. The brown bear is distinguished by the promi- nence of his brow above the eyes, which is ab- ruptly convex, with a depression below them ; the black bear, by the regular convexity of its whole facial outline, from the ears to the muz- zle. The latter never attacks man except in Cinnamon Bear (Ursus occidentalis).