1. THALASSARCT03. 217 



Si/nopsis of the Genera. 



A. Sea-Bears. Soles of the feet hairy, with a few bald pads. The tuber- 



cular grinder lonyer than the Jlesh- tooth. Lips slightly extensile. 

 Cutting-teeth f . Ears rounded, hairy. 



1. Thalassarctos. Nose of skull produced, longer than broad. 



Front false grinders small, far apart ; upper tubercular 

 moderate. 



B. Land-Bears. Soles of the feet bald, callotts. Cutting-teeth j. Lips slightly 



extensile. Cover of nostrils moderate. Ears rounded, hairy. Under- 

 side of the base of the toes hairy. 



2. Uesfs. Nose of skull produced, longer than broad, rounded 



above. Forehead convex, separated from the nose by a cross 

 line. False grinders far apart, small. Palate flat. Brain- 

 case swollen. Lower jaw moderate. 



3. Mtemarctos. Nose of the skull produced, much longer than 



broad, flat above. Nose, forehead, and front of crown all 

 on one Kne. False grinders far apart, small. Palate concave. 

 Brain-case compressed. Lower jaw large, elongate. 



4. Hel.uictos. Nose of skull very short, as broad as long, form- 



ing a line with the forehead. False grinders crowded, large. 

 Palate broad, flat. 



C. Honey-Bears. Soles of the feet bald, callous. Cutting-teeth f. Lips 



very e.rtensile. Nostnls large, tcith a large cover. Front of jxdate 

 bent up. Ears tufted. Underside of base of toes bald. 



6. Melurstjs. Nose of the skull produced, longer than broad, 

 rounded above. False grinders far apart ; upper hinder 

 tubercular short. 



A. Sea-Bears. Soles of the feet covered with close-set hairs, with a fno 

 small bald pads. Head elongate ; forehead scarcely raised above the line 

 of the nose ; cutting-teeth f ; lips slightly extaisile ; nostrils moderate. 



1. THALASSARCTOS. 



Head elongate ; ears rounded, hairy ; forehead scarcely raised 

 above the line of the nose. Neck elongate. Feet broad, large ; front 

 claws elongate, cnrvcd. Fur short, soft, dense. SkuU elongate. 

 The upper tubercular grinder elongate. The palate broad, concave, 

 rather contracted behind, and then suddenly contracted behind the 

 last tooth. The hinder nasal aperture elongate, narrow, the sides 

 much longer than the front edge, which is arched ; the sides bent in 

 towards the middle, contracting the aperture. 



Sea-Bears (Thalassarctos), Gray, Ann. of Philos. 18L^5 ; P. Z. S. 1864, 



p. 080. 

 Thalassarctus, Gloger, 1842. 



Ilab. Arctic Seas. 



