232 MR. P. L. SCLATER ON ANIMALS IN THE MENAGERIE. [Mar. 7, 



called Lemur brunneus. Van der Hoeven's description (Tijdschr. 

 v. N. G. xi. p. 35) seems quite applicable to it. I am therefore dis- 

 posed to consider Prosimia melanocephala = Lemur brunneus. 



15. Lemur flavifrons. 



This species was established by Dr. Gray in 1867 (P. Z. S. 1867, 

 p. 596, pi. xxxi.), under the name Prosimia flavifrons, upon a Lemur 

 then living in the Society's Gardens. It was purchased May 11, 

 1867, of a London dealer, and died Sept. 30th of the same year. It 

 is now in the British Museum. Dr. Gray speaks of this animal as a 

 male ; but in our Prosector's books it is registered as an adult female. 



We have now a second similar specimen in the Gardens, presented 

 by Major R. Lloyd, June 12, 1868. This is certainly a female. 



16. Mellivora leuconota, Sclater, P. Z. S. 1867, p. 98, 

 pi. viii. 



The specimen which I described provisionally under this name is 

 still living in the Society's Gardens. It is now quite adult ; and the 

 lower back has hecome more greyish, while the crown remains of a 

 nearly pure white. It could now hardly be distinguished from M. 

 indica. 



There being, I believe, no doubt of the African origin of this 

 specimen, I am led to the conclusion that there is not really more 

 than one valid species of this genus after all, which, like other Car- 

 nivora, extends from the Cape into the Indian peninsula. 



Heuglin (Syst. Ueb. d. Saugeth. Nordost-Afr. in Sitz. Ak. Wien, 

 liv. p. 563) notices Mellivora as met with in Southern Nubia, Cor- 

 dofan, Eastern Sennaar, and Central Abyssinia, but refers the species 

 to M. capensis. 



17. Ursus nasutus, Sclater, P. Z. S. 1868, p. 73, pi. viii. 



The bear which I provisionally described under this name, and 

 which was stated to have been brought from the "West Indies," 

 has recently died. It was in rather a diseased state, I regret to say, 

 and neither skin nor bones were in a satisfactory condition. 



However, I had the head carefully macerated, and have submitted 

 the skull to the examination of Mr. Busk, our best authority on such 

 subjects. Mr. Busk kindly informs me that he cannot detect any 

 difference, as regards either skull or teeth, between it and Ursus ame- 

 ricanus, of which he is inclined to consider it a mere variety. 



Under these circumstances, I have placed this specimen in the new 

 edition of the Catalogne of Vertebrates under Ursus americanus. I 

 should also remark that 1 now find that a similar variation in the 

 colour of a specimen of Ursus americanus has been already noticed 

 in an individual living in the Menagerie at Chantilly, upon which 

 Geoffroy founded his Ursus gularis (cf. F. Cuv. Mamm. sub 

 tab. 21 7). 



We have also now living in the Gardens a Black American Bear 

 which presents faint traces of white on the chest. 



