276 THE ZOOLOGIS'. 
This of course applies only to the forest animals, as the Wolf 
and the Wild Boar, the Roé, the Wild Cat, and the Marten, of 
which all except the last-named are now extinct in England. 
The Bear, as already remarked, had become extinct at a much 
earlier period, namely, before the Conquest, while the Beaver 
and the Reindeer, as we shall presently see, were to be found in 
very different haunts. 
That Bears were at one time common in Britain is clearly 
testified by the abundant remains which have been discovered 
from time to time in various parts of the country, not only in 
England and Scotland, but also in Ireland. 
With regard to Ireland, however, it should be observed that 
in the opinion of paleontologists it is doubtful whether any of the 
Ursine remains there discovered are referable to Ursus arctos, 
the common Brown Bear, a comparison of the osteological and 
dental characters indicating that they belong to a much older and 
prehistoric form, Ursus fossilis, the progenitor apparently of the 
existing Ursus ferox. 
The relationship, however, between Ursus ferox, the Grizzly 
Bear now repelled to Western North America, and Ursus arctos, 
the Brown Bear, is so close, not only as regards fossil, but also 
recent individuals, that externally they are indistinguishable. 
From an old Welsh MS. relating to ancient British laws and 
customs, discovered by a friend of the illustrious John Ray, it 
appears that the Bear was formerly reckoned amongst the beasts 
of chase in this country, and its flesh was esteemed equally with 
that of the Hare and the Wild Boar. Many names of places in 
Wales still indicate its former existence there. That it was 
killed and eaten by the Romans during their occupation of 
Britain we know, from the discovery of its remains in some of 
their refuse heaps, as at Colchester, and Richmond in Yorkshire. 
And not only did they chase and kill bears here for sport as well 
as for food, but they exported them to Rome, as we learn from 
Martial and Plutarch, for the purpose of tormenting malefactors 
and for exhibition in the Roman arena. These are referred to 
as Caledonian bears, and Scotland appears to have been the great 
stronghold for them, at least during the later years of their 
existence in Britain. Bishop Leslie (1578) states that the Cale- 
donian forest was once full of them, and Camden, our great anti- 
quary, writing of Perthshire, particularly refers to this immense 
