Vol. XXIII, pp. 127-130 September 2, 1910 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



URSUS SHELDONI, A NEW BEAR FROM MONTAGUE'^ 



ISLAND, ALASKA. 



BY C. HART MERRIAM. 



Since it is not likely that my work on the American Bears 

 will be completed during the present year it seems desirable to 

 ])lace on record the description of a large and remarkable new 

 species from Montague Island, Alaska, of which five specimens 

 of both sexes and different ages Avere obtained in May, 1005, 

 by Charles Sheldon; and three additional specimens in l'.)()S l)y 

 Miss Annie M. Alexander, all of whicli have been generously 

 placed at my disposal for study. 



Montague Island lies in the western part of the mouth of 

 Prince William Sound, in latitude GO degrees, only al)out 20 

 miles distant from th(! east shore of Kenai Peninsula — the home 

 of UrsHS kenaiensis. It is not surprising therefore that the 

 iNIontague Island bear proves to be related to kcnnie7isis. The 

 two together form a group quite apart from all the other known 

 species. 



It is peculiarly fitting that the Montague Island bear should 

 be named in honor of its discoverer — Charles Sheldon of New 

 York — who by zeal and perseverance in the face of many ob- 

 stacles succeeded in killing five, and generously presented the 

 specimens to the U. S. Biological Survey. 



The new bear may be known from its onl}' near relative, 

 Ursus kenaiensis, l)y the following description : 



Ursus sheldoni i^p. iiov. 



Tijpc. — Xo. i;;7,.")18, c? a<b, U. S. National Museum, Biological Survey 

 Collection. ^Montague Island, Alaska, May, I'JOo. Charles Sheldon. 

 Original number 17. 



33— Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., Vol. XXIII, I'JIO, (127) 



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