1 825.] On the Genus Ursns of Cumer. 5& 



Article X. 



On the Genus Ursus of Cuvier, with its Divisions into Subgenera, 

 By John Edward Gray, Esq. FGS. 



(To the Editors of the Annals of Philosophy/.) 



GENTLEMEN, British Museum. 



LiNN^us placed in the genus Ursus the whole of the heel 

 walking carnivorous animals ; but the modern zoologists have 

 reduced it to those of his genus which have one or more small 

 distant false grinders between the true grinders and the canine 

 teeth ; therefore restricting it to Ursus Arctos and Maritimus^ 

 the only two species known in his time. But by the exertions 

 of travellers we have become acquainted with six other species^ 

 which most authors have found very diflScult to characterise, or 

 they have at least been involved in considerable obscurity from 

 the want of observing and comparing them together. 



Having lately had the opportunity of examining six species 

 alive, three of which are at present in the menagerie attached to 

 the Tower of London, and the rest moving about the country in 

 the caravans of the itinerant exhibitors, 1 have been enabled to 

 divide the genus into sections, which I hope will facihtate the 

 knowledge of the species. 



The divisions may be regarded as subgenera; like most natu- 

 ral groups they are each confined to particular parts of the 

 globe, with a few exceptions, which may be explained by consi- 

 dering the confusion that has hitherto existed regarding their 

 species : thus Desmarest, when he placed India among the 

 habitat of the common bear, appears by his description to have 

 confounded the Malay or long liped bear with that species. 



I propose to divide the genus into 



I. I'hose which have short conical recurved claws, adapted J&jt 

 climbing. 



This group may be considered as the type of the genus, asfidit 

 contains the 



1. European Bears, which have convex foreheads and long 

 heels, as 



1. Ursus Arctos. Lin. Sj/st. Nat, i. $ albida, 



2. Ursus coUaris. F. Cuvier, Mamm, Lithog. 



3, Pyreniacus. F, Cuvier, Mamrn. Lithog. 



The two latter may be only varieties of the former species, 

 and Ursus Tibetkianus may, perhaps, be more properly referable 

 to this group. ? 



2. The American Bears, with flattened foreheads and short 

 heels, as 



4. Ursus Americanus, Pallas. U. gularis, Geof, 



