Feb., 1912. Mammals of Illinois and Wisconsin — Cory. 397 



the species which is found in Florida continuing the habit when the 

 occasion for it no longer exists.* 



Two genera and some fifteen species and subspecies are found in 

 North America, but only one, the Black Bear, Ursus americanus, 

 occurs within our limits. 



Genus URSUS Linnaeus. 



Ursus Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., X ed., I, 1758, p. 47. Type Ursus arctos 



Linn. 



Size large; feet plantigrade; claws not retractile; toes 5 on both 

 fore and hind feet; tail very short; true molars with broad tuberculate 

 crowns; upper camassial smaller than ist molar, having a broad crown 

 with elongated cusps ; audital bullae depressed and but very slightly in- 

 flated; color of our species black or brown. 



Dental formula: I. ^^. C. ---. Pm, -—^-, M. ^— = 42. 

 ?>-d> i-i 4-4 3-3 



Subgenus EU ARCTOS Gray. 



Ursus americanus Pallas. 



Black Bear. 



Ursus americanus Pallas, Spicilegia Zoologica, fasc. 14, 1780, p. 5. Lapham, 

 Trans. Wis. State Agr. Soc, II, 1852 (1853), p. 338 (Wisconsin). Kennicott, 

 Trans. 111. State Agr. Soc, I, 1853-54 (1855), p. 578 (Cook Co., Illinois). lb., 

 Agr. Rept. for 1858, U. S. Patent Office Rept., 1859, p. 251 (Illinois). Thomas, 

 Trans. 111. State Agr. Soc, IV, 1859-60 (1861), p. 655 (Illinois). Strong, 

 Geol. Wis., Surv. 1873-79, I, 1883, p. 437 (Wisconsin). Herrick, Geol. 

 Nat. Hist. Surv. Minn., Bull. No. 7, 1892, p. 140 (Minnesota). Evermann & 

 Butler, Proclnd. Acad. Sci., 1893 (1894), p. 13^ (Indiana). Butler, Proc Ind. 

 Acad. Sci., 1894 (1895), p. 84 (Indiana). Rhoads, Proc Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 

 1896 (1897), p. 199 (Tennessee), Adams, Rept. State Board Geol. Surv. Mich., 

 1905 (1906), p. 130 (Michigan). Hahn, Ann. Rept. Dept. Geol. & Nat. Re- 

 sources Ind., 1908 (1909), p. 592 (Indiana). Jackson, Bull. Wis. Nat. Hist. 

 Soc, VI, 1908, p. 30 (Wisconsin). lb., VIII, 1910, p. 89 (Wisconsin). 



Ursus americana Miles, Rept. Geol. Surv. Mich., I, i860 (1861), p. 220 (Michigan). 

 Garman, Bull. Essex Inst., XXVI, 1894, p. 3 (Kentucky). 



Ursus arctos Allen, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., XIII, 1869 (1871), p. 184 (Iowa). 

 Osborn, Proc. Iowa Acad. Sci., I, 1887-89 (1890), p. 42 (Iowa). 



Ursus cinnamomum Strong, Geol. Wis., Surv. 1873-79, I» 1883, p. 437 (Wisconsin). 



* The Florida Black Bear retires into its den early in January and hibernates 

 until about the first of March. That this habit is due to hereditary instinct and not 

 to climatic conditions or lack of food is suggested by the fact that in southeastern 

 Florida the weather is warm and the berries of the palmetto {Serenoa serrulata) , which 

 are a favorite food of these animals, are still very abundant at that season. 



