PKOCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Table of measurements of the skull. 

 No. 13455. Locality: Mouet Township, Pennsylvania. 



655 



5. A number of bears from diflerent localities in North America havi 



Various views have been held regarding their taxonomic relations to 

 the Black Bear, Ursus americanus, and to each other, the value of 

 which can be determined only when a considerable number of skulls 

 and skins shall be brought together. 



Among the varieties of the Black Bear mentioned by authors is one 

 called the "Yellow Bear of Carolina." No description of this animal 

 occurs anywhere, so far as I am aware, except in Griffith's Cuvier's An- 

 imal Kingdom. For sake of comparison it may not be amiss to quote 

 what is said regarding it. It is as follows: "The Baron [Cuvier] also 

 thinks that the Yellow Bear of Carolina is a variety of the same species. 

 This is scientifically termed Ursus lutreolus. We shall not venture to 

 assert in contradiction to the Baron that this bear forms a distinct spe- 

 cies, but assuredly it is a very strongly marked variety. Major Smith 

 took a sketch of one at New York -, the specimen was semi-adult. He 

 does not consider that there is sufficient proof of its being a distinct 

 species. In the specimen drawn by the major there was a greater con- 

 vexity of forehead and a shari)er nose than in the Black Bear. This 

 comparison was easily made, as the two animals were chained very 

 near each other. The ears of the*Yellow Bear stood more back, were 

 not quite so large, and the physiognomy was very different.* Both 

 were remarkably tame. Although the Yellow Bear cannot be affirmed 

 to be specifically different, yet it is certain that there is a distinct race 

 of the animals. They were formerly common in Virginia, and they are 

 still abundant in Northwestern Louisiana, where they are called White 

 Bears, and are said to feed chiefly on honey, on acorns of a large size, 

 wild berries, &c. 



*It iriiist be remembered that this specimen of the Ursus luteolus yvRahnt semi-adult, 

 P[idgeon]. 



