: “3 . a 
/ 
136 BULLETIN NO. VII. 
others which are nearly confined to a vegetable diet, interme- 
diate conditions linking these extremes. 
There are from forty-two to thirty-six teeth and two fooler 
are always present in the upper and lower jaw, while in Ursus 
a third molar is found in the lower jaw. The crowns of the 
molars are tuberculate, the prominences in some cases being 
high and sharp, but in true bears are low and the crown is also 
marked by various wrinkles and elevations. These teeth are 
in many respects not unlike the molars of swine. There are 
normally four pre-molars in each jaw as in Ursus, Ailuropus, 
Procyon, Nasua and Bassaris. In Ailurus there are but three 
in the upper jaw, while a like reduction is also found in the 
lower jaw of Arctictis and Cercoleptes. 
There is a tendency to reduce the number of pre-molars with 
age. Inthe true bears these teeth are reduced in size and 
have conical crowns, while the smaller members of the family 
have sharp triangular middle lobes. The incisors and canines 
have the form common to Carnivora and are often of great size. 
The nearest relatives now living are the Civet cats which 
some of the smaller forms greatly resemble. The plantigrade 
walk, which is perhaps the most marked peculiarity of bears, 
is also found among certain Viverride, while there are a few 
of the Ursidw which have retractile claws. 
The two sub-families are well marked and distinct groups. 
The Subursine include the long-tailed, small-bodied forms, 
almost confined to America. The number of teeth is never 
more than forty (except in the aberrant luropus. ) 
The Ursine include, besides Ursus proper, several species 
of tropical bears. 
The Prochilus labiatus inhabits Ceylon and India and is char- 
acterized by its long, flat head, overhanging lips and protrusi- 
ble snout and the long, curved claws. It is arboreal and lives 
largely upon honey. ) 
A still better climber is the sun bear, which inhabits the._ 
Sunda Islands, ete., and is vegetarian in habit and is particu- 
larly partial to the cocoanut. 
Susramity SUBURSIN. 
This group is composed of several genera of small animals 
represented in North America by the raccoons or lavatory 
bears. The genera are more strictly localized than in the 
larger division of the Ursida, but as a whole the group is 
pr 
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