202 



GEOGRAPHICAL ZOOLOGY. 



[part IV. 



all the Nearctic and Palsearctic regions as far as the Atlas Moun- 

 tains, the Indo-Chinese sub-region in the mountains, and to 

 Hainan and Formosa ; Helarctos, the Malay or sun-bear (1 

 species) confined to the Indo -Malayan sub-region ; Melursus or 

 Prochilus, the honey-bear (1 species), confined to the first and 

 second Oriental sub-regions, over which it ranges from the 

 Ganges to Ceylon ; and Tremarctos, the spectacled bear — com- 

 monly known as Ursus ornatus — which is isolated in the Andes 

 of Peru and Chili, and forms a distinct group. 



Fossil Ursidce. — Two bears (Ursus spelceus and U. prisms) 

 closely allied to Irving species, abound in the Post-tertiary de- 

 posits of Europe ; and others of the same age are found in North 

 America, as well as an extinct genus, Arctodus. 



Ursus arvernensis is found in the Pliocene formation of France, 

 and the extinct genus Leptarchus in that of North America. 



Several species of Amphicyon, which appears to be an ances- 

 tral form of this family, are found in the Miocene deposits of 

 Europe and N. India; while Ursus also occurs in the Siwalik 

 Hills and Nerbudda deposits. 



Family 33.— OTAKIID^E. (4 Genera, 8 Species.) 



General Distribution. 



The Otariidse, or Eared Seals, comprehending the sea-bears and 

 sea-lions, are confined to the temperate and cold shores of the 

 North Pacific, and to similar climates in the Southern Hemisphere, 

 where the larger proportion of the species are found. They are 

 entirely absent from the North Atlantic shores. Mr. J. A. Allen, 

 in his recent discussion of this family (Bull. Harvard Museum) 

 divides them into the following genera : — 



Otdria (1 species), Temperate South America, from Chili to 

 La Plata; Callorhinus (1 species), Behring's Straits and Kams- 

 chatka ; Arctocephalus (3 species), temperate regions of the 



