54* ANIMALS IN MENAGERIES. 



greater, reckoning from the heel to the extremity of the 

 claws ; the latter are fully two inches in length, con- 

 siderably curved, and nearly equal at either extremity." 

 This was brought from Russia by the marquis of 

 Hertford. Regarding another individual, stated to he a 

 native of America, Mr. Bennett makes the following 

 observations : — "^ It resembles the adult Alpine bear so 

 closely in its form, in its iur, in its physiognomy, and 

 in its manners, that we have little hesitation in referring 

 it to the same species. Notwithstanding the wide dif- 

 ference in geographic position, we see no incongruity in 

 such a union ; on the contrary, it would strike us as a 

 very peculiar and surprising fact, that so excellent a 

 swimmer, and so essentially migratory a beast as the 

 brown bear, should present almost a solitary exception 

 to the general rule, which renders most of the animals 

 inhabiting the arctic circle, common to the two con- 

 tinents." * It must, however, be remembered, that in 

 this attempt to prove the brown bear of Europe and 

 that of America to be the same species, the whole force 

 of the argument rests upon the mere supposition that 

 this young bear did actually come from America. This 

 seems to be uncertain, and therefore nothing conclusive 

 can be arrived at. 



The Barren Ground Bear. 



Ursus Richardsoni, Swainson. Ursus Arctos? Americanus, 

 Barren Ground Bear, Richardson, North. Zool. i. 21. 



The discovery of this bear, which, in all probability, 

 is a distinct species from the last described, is due to 

 the intrepid navigators under the command of captain 

 Franklin and Dr. Richardson ; and it has been described 

 by the latter in the interesting and valuable volume on 

 the Quadrupeds of British America, which is entirely 

 from that gentleman's pen. We know not whether living 

 specimens have as yet reached Europe ; but as it is 

 highly probable they will, we shall give Dr. Richardson's 

 account nearly in his own words. " The barren lands," 



* Zool. Gard. iv. 106. 



