MAMMALS, 



31 



In the description of this species I have not considered it necessary to make any comparisons 

 with the other American hears, the grizzly and the polar, as these vastly surpass it in size. 

 The Ursus ardos of Europe is also a much larger animal. 



From a comparison of the teeth it is quite evident that the present species is less carnivorous 

 than the Ursus americanus of the eastern States. Indeed, its food is said to consist in great 

 part of the piiion or stone pine, and other seeds requiring a considerable amount of grinding 

 before being swallowed. 



Skull. 



Total length 



From end of intermaxillaries to end of condyles 



# 



Greatest width 



Greatest heishl above base of cranium 



Distance between orbits 



Distance between oibital processes 

 Nasal bones, length 



Nasal bones, width before... ..... 



Narrowest part of muzzle behind canines 



Upper incisors from front to molars • 



Upper incisors from front to hinder margin of palate 



Upper incisors, width between external edges 



Upper molars, length taken together 



Upper molars, least distance between 



From intermaxillary to end of nasals 



From intermaxillary to commencement of orbit.. .. 



Between post-orbital points to occiput 



Between post-orbital points to end of nasals 



Between post-orbital points to end of intermaxillary 



Ursus cinnamoneus 

 c?. Gila. 991. 



Inches. 



11.50 



10.50 



6.00 



3.40 

 2.55 

 3.73 

 2.90 

 1.14 

 2.30 

 2.80 

 5.84 

 1.40 



2.00 

 1.57 

 4.90 

 4.17 

 6.60 

 3.70 

 5.80 



lOOths o^ 

 length. 



1.00 

 .92 

 .60 

 .29 

 .22 

 .33 

 -25 

 .09 



.20 

 .24 

 .50 

 .12 

 .17 

 .13 

 .42 

 .36 

 .57 



.32 



.50 



U. cinnamoneus. ^ 

 Gila. 992. 



Inches 



11.10 



10.60 



7.00 

 3.20 



2.4G 

 3.63 



2.90 



1.07 

 2.28 

 2.70 

 5.60 

 1.45 

 2.07 

 1.63 

 5.28 

 4.38 

 6.20 

 3.67 

 6.00 



lUOths of 

 length. 



1.00 



.95 



.63 



.28 

 .22 

 .32 

 .26 

 .09 

 .20 



.24 

 .50 

 .13 

 .18 

 .14 

 .47 

 .39 



.55 



.33 

 .54 



U. americanus. 988. 

 Q. Morehouse CO., La 



Inches. 



10.30 

 10.10 



6.00 

 3.20 

 2.30 



3.26 

 2.70 

 1.03 

 2.23 

 2.30 

 5.37 

 1.26 

 2.24 

 1.45 

 4.47 



3.66 



6.00 

 3.40 

 5.10 





lUOths of 

 length. 



1.00 

 .97 

 .57 

 .31 

 .22 

 .31 

 .26 

 .10 

 .20 

 .22 

 .52 

 .12 

 .21 



.13 

 .43 



.35 

 .58 

 .33 

 .49 



991. 



i . 902. ^ . 994. 9 . Skulls. Coppermines, N. M. J. II. Clark. 



25. DIDELPHYS VIRGINIANA, Shaw, (p. 232.)-ro88um. 



The under-fur of this species is yellowish white, with dusky tips quite uniformly distributed 

 over the body, most intense on the back. The legs are entirely dusky brown ; the digits or 

 fingers and toes yellowish white. The head is nearly pure yellowish white throughout, with 

 only a dusky suffusion round the eye, and a dusky shade along the top of the head, widening 

 and deepening into the brown of the back. The ears are black, with a yellow blotch on the 

 upper edge ; the tail is black on the basal fourth, the remainder yellowish white. 



The long scattered hairs of the body are quite uniformly distributed and silvery white in color. 



Length of head, 5 inches ; of head and body, 20 



1 . 



2 J 



14A 



I am not at present prepared to give the distribution of the common North American possum 

 with any degree of precision. According to Audubon and Bachman its eastern limit is the 

 Hudson river, while westwardly it extends to the Pacific ocean, and southwardly to Mexico. I 



