52 FAUNA AMERICANA. 



tened ; neck long ; sole of the foot very large ; hair 

 long, soft and white. 



Dimensions. Total length, five feet seven inch^is 

 one line; of the head, one foot five inches six 

 lines; of the palm of the hand, ten inches two 

 lines ; of the sole of the foot, eleven inches nine 

 lines ; of the tail, two inches nine lines ; height 

 before, three feet four inches. 



Description. Body and neck much longer in 

 proportion, head more narrow and more flat than in 

 the brown bear ; forehead nearly in a straight line 

 with the nose ; snout thicker than in the European 

 species ; ears shorter, more round ; hind feet about 

 one-sixth of the total length, resting on the en- 

 tire sole and heel ; hair soft, fine, and woolly, very 

 long on the belly and legs, rather short on the 

 head and superior parts of the body ; white on all 

 parts ; end of the nose, nails, and borders of the 

 eyelids, of a deep black ; lips bordering on the 

 violet ; interior of the mouth of a pale violet ; a 

 small supernumerary conical tooth, situated be- 

 hind the canine of both jaws, and separated from 

 the first molar by a vacant space. 



Habit. Very voracious and savage, carnivor- 

 ous, swimming with the greatest facility, and re- 

 posing on floating ice. Female brings forth in 

 the month of March, after six or seven months 

 gestation ; reposing the young in deep pits made 

 in the snow, where they pass the winter, isolated, 

 and in a lethargic state. 



