the type of a Subgenus 'of Ursus, 231 



satisfactory result. I can therefore only suggest, ob this head, tht 

 propriety of applying a name from its geographical situation, so a'S 

 to oppose it in this point of view to the Equinoctial Bear* Ih 

 the Ursus maritimus the skull has an oblong form : and is greatly 

 lengthened and depressed, bot comparatively narrow in its late» 

 ral dimensions; M. Cuvier's remarks on it, as far as regards 

 this character, are so full and comprehensive, thai I refer to 

 them, and only extract the following details. " Le crane, bieh 

 Ibin de s'elever au-dessus de la face, semble au contraire s'abais- 



ser. — en un mot, cette ieie est plus cylindrique, plus ap« 



prochante de la forme de celle de la marte au du putois, que de 

 telle des ours ordinaires." Ossem. fossiles I V. p. 327. The figure 

 of Pallas likewise exhibits this character in a striking manner. 

 The skull of the Helarctos on the contrary, as appears from the 

 preceding description, is almost globular, and its breadth is 

 nearly equal io its length. M. Cuvier equally illustrates this 

 fcharacter of our sub-genus. " L'ours de Java, est singulierment 



remarquable par la saillie du cr^ne , , , la plus grande con- 



vexite du crane y est autrement placee et beaucoup en arriere 

 sur ses parietaux, ou le crane est aussi beaucoup plus large, en 

 sorte que son cerveau est plus globuleux." The relative length 

 of the soles of the feet in the Polar and Equinoctial Bears affords 

 a further strikingly distinctive character. In the former it a- 

 mounts to one sixth part of the entire length of the animal ; in 

 the latter it constitutes about one tenth part in the hind foot, 

 and somewhat less in the anterior one. The Polar Bear is re» 

 rnarkable on account of the length of the body, and the compa- 

 rative smallness of the claws : in the Helarctos the body is stout 

 and well proportioned, the legs are short, but the claws are of 

 excessive length. 



Among the characters which distinguish the IJelarcios not only 

 from the Polar Bear but from all other Ursi hitherto discovered, 

 are to be mentioned the shortness and smoothness of the fur, the 

 length of the tongue, and the disposition of the teeth. In con- 

 firmation of what I have said already of the latter, I shall give the 

 following extract from M. Cuvier's remarks. Speaking of the 

 grinders of the Be?irs in general, he says, " Par une disposition 



