398 Field Museum oe Natural History — Zoology, Vol. XL 



Type locality — Eastern North America. 



Distribution — Practically the whole of North America, from Texas 

 to Labrador and Alaska; replaced in the Gulf States, Labrador, 

 and the extreme West and Northwest by allied forms. 

 Description — Size large ; body thickly furred ; general color black 

 (sometimes brown), often with a white spot on the breast; ears 

 rounded; face tinged with cinnamon brown or tan brown. 

 Measurements — Size variable ; adult males from Wisconsin will general- 

 ly weigh from 250 to 350 lbs. and have a total length of from 60 to 

 70 inches; height at the shoulder, about 30 inches; tail, about 5 

 inches; and hind foot, about 8 inches. 



Up to the middle of the last century Black Bears were common 

 in wooded localities in Illinois, and probably a few individuals sur- 

 vived in the northwestern and southern parts of the state to a con- 

 siderably later date. There have been rumors of Bears having been 

 seen in the swampy country in extreme southern Illinois as late as 1885 

 or 1890, but the evidence is unsatisfactory. The latest authentic 

 record I can find for Illinois is that of Mr. C. J. Boyd of Anna, who 

 writes: ''The last Bear was killed by David Brown in i860 in the 

 hills near Alexander Co." Kennicott (1854) states that Bears were 

 formerly seen in Cook Co. (/. c, p. 578); and Thomas (1859) says, 

 "It is occasionally seen in the southern part of the state, although once 

 found in considerable numbers" (/. c, p. 656). So much for Illinois. 



According to Hahn it was found in Indiana at a somewhat later 

 date, as he records one being killed in Green County in 1870 and another 

 in 1875. Two young Bears were reported killed in Knox Co., Indiana, 

 in 1882 (/. c, p. 594). That they were common enough in the state in 

 early days is shown by the statement of Dr. John T. Plummer, who 

 informs us Bears were killed in the immediate neighborhood of Rich- 

 mond, Wayne Co., and in the year 1824 some cubs were taken within 

 a mile of the town.* 



Black Bears are, however, still common in northern Wisconsin. 

 Jackson says: "Black Bears have reappeared in Oneida County since 

 1907 and are reported more plentiful in Vilas County. In late June, 

 1908, a female and two cubs were killed near Wolf Lake, Oneida Co. 

 and there have been reports of others seen in the region nearby" (/. c, 



P- 89). ^ 



During the past six years I have made inquiries of a number of 

 gentlemen living in various parts of northern Wisconsin as to the 

 presence or absence of some of the larger mammals in their vicinity. 

 Many of them are experienced hunters and are well acquainted with 



* Amer. Jour. Sci. & Arts, XLVI, 1844, p. 246. 



