10 MAMMALIA. [Unsus. 



ORDER I. FER.E. 



t GEN. 1. URSUS, Linn. 



1- 1. U. Arctos, Linn. (Brown Bear.) Blackish brown: forehead 

 convex above the eyes : snout suddenly tapering : soles of the hinder 

 feet moderately long. 



U. Arctos, Desmar. Mammal, p. 163. Common Bear, Shaw, Gen. Zool. vol. i. 

 p. 450. pi. 102. 



DIMENS. Length of the head and body three feet seven inches ; of the head 

 one foot ; of the fore foot seven inches seven lines ; of the hinder foot eight inches 

 ten lines. 



DESCRIPT. Body entirely covered with thick shaggy hair, varying in colour 

 from chestnut brown to black : soles of the fore feet with their anterior half 

 naked ; those behind naked throughout : ears short and rounded : eyes small : 

 tail very short. 



Formerly an inhabitant of Great Britain ; but extirpated many centuries back. 

 Infested Scotland (according to Pennant) so late as the year 1057. Still common 

 on many parts of the European continent. 



GEN. 2. MELES, Cuv. 



2. M. Taxus, Flem. (Badger.) t-Gray above, black 

 beneath ; a black band on each side of the head extending 

 from the nose over the eyes to behind the ears. 



M. Taxus, Flem. Brit. An. p. 9. M. vulgaris, Des?n. Mammal, p. 173* 

 Badger, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 85. pi. 8. no. 13. Shaw, Gen. 

 Zool. vol. i. p. 467. pi. 106. 



DIMENS. Length of the head and body two feet six inches; of the 

 head six inches eight lines; of the ears one inch four lines; of the 

 tail seven inches. 



DESCRIPT. Body thick and clumsy : hair rigid and very long ; gray 

 on the upper parts, black on the throat, breast, belly, and legs : head 

 above white, with a longitudinal black spot on each side, which takes 

 its origin between the extremity of the nose and the eye, and terminates 

 behind the ear : toes five on each foot : claws long and bent : eyes very 

 small : ears short and rounded, almost concealed in the hair : a trans- 

 verse glandular pouch between the tail and the anus, secreting a foetid 

 substance. 



Found in several parts of the kingdom, but not of very general occur- 

 rence. Burrows in the ground, concealing itself during the day, and 

 coming abroad at night. Feeds indiscriminately on animal and vegetable 

 substances. 



