50 CARNIVORA. 



thick, shaggy hair, varpng from chestnut-brown to black . 

 soles of the fore-feet with their anterior half naked, those 

 behind naked thi^oughout; ears short and rounded; eyes 

 small ; tail very short. 



Length of head and body, 3 feet 7 inches ; head, 1 foot ; 

 fore-foot, 7 inches 7 lines ; hind-foot, 8 inches 10 hnes. 



Feeds chiefly on nuts and roots ; is fond of fruit, seldom 

 attacking animals unless pressed by hunger. 



Extinct in the British Islands for at least eight centuries ; 

 is found in most of the high mountain ranges of Europe, 

 viz. the Pyrenees, Alps, Carpathians, «S:c., as well as of the 

 southern and temperate parts of Asia. In the Pyrenees it 

 is now more common on the Spanish than on the Erench 

 side. Said not to occur in any other part of Spain. Was 

 found at a recent period in the Yosges Mountains, and now 

 in the Jui'a and Erench Alps. In Switzerland Bears are 

 rare, and chiefly confined to the Grisons ; five were seen 

 together in the Engadine in 1852. In Sweden and Norway 

 they are not uncommon from about the 58th degree of 

 north latitude to the Forth Cape ; they are numerous in 

 the northern and temperate regions of the whole of Russia 

 where forests occui* ; and in the Caucasus, grizzled, white, 

 and small brown mountain varieties are met with. 



Ursus maritimus. 



Ursiis maritimus, Desm. Mamm. Sp. 257. 

 Urstis marinus, Pallas, Zoog. Eoss. As. 

 Polar Bear. 



DESCKirxiON. — Body and neck longer in proportion than in 

 the Brown Bear ; the head lengthened and flattened ; ears 

 and mouth comparatively small, the former rounded ; soles 

 of the feet very large and clothed with fui' ; snout large 

 and black ; the whole coat dense and long, silvery white 

 tinged with yellow ; claws black, rather short and stout, 



