URSUS MALAYANUS. 



stiff hairs. Vibrissse few in number, and solitary, scattered about the lips. Cheeks 

 even and regular at the surface, agreeing with the conical form of the head. Eyes 

 situated far in front, but vivid and prominent; irides dark. Ears very short, abruptly 

 terminated, appearing as if cropped by art ; meatus auditorius covered with hair, 

 arranged like a funnel. Throat regularly rounded, passing gradually to the neck, 

 which is of a moderate length, and somewhat contracted behind the occiput. Body ■ 

 oblong, robust, elevated anteriorly between the shoulders, moderately distended 

 about the abdomen, descending gradually to the rump, which is terminated by a 

 short tail, consisting of an attenuated tuft of bristles, about an inch in length. 

 Limbs robvxst : anterior extremities thicker near the trunk, tapering towards the feet, 

 elevating the anterior part of the body by their vertical disposition ; posterior extre- 

 mities with very stout muscular thighs, and short, somewhat curved, legs. Feet 

 plantigrade, thickly covered with hairs above, naked underneath; the fore feet some- 

 what longer than the hind feet. Toes five, all resting on one plane, compressed, 

 not deeply divided, nearly equal in length ; exterior toes on each side scarcely per- 

 ceptibly smaller. Claws very long, strongly compressed and arched; acute, rounded 

 above, grooved underneath, of a pale corneous hue. The heel of the hind foot is 

 slightly elevated in walking, and this foot is, on the whole, both shorter and narrower 

 posteriorly than the fore foot. The colovir is jet black on every part, except the 

 muzzle before the eyes, which is dusky gray, and a white semilunar mark, with 

 extended sides on the breast : the form of this mark is nearly represented by the 

 letter U: the breadth is about an inch, and the length of each of the sides, from the 

 general base to the extremity, is about six inches. The hairs are short and thickly 

 disposed, so as to form a very dense covering; they are smooth, decumbent, or 

 closely pressed to the skin on every part, excepting the upper parts of the head, 

 neck, and shoulders, on which they are slightly frizzled. The length of the separate 

 hairs is three-fourths of an inch, and they are rigid and strict. 



The characters wliich chiefly distinguish the Ursus malayanus from the Bear of 

 India, the Ursus labiatus of Blaimille, which it resembles in the paleness of the 

 muzzle, and in the mark on the breast, have already been mentioned by Sir Stamford 

 Raffles in his description. It is also distinguishable by the comparative short- 

 ness of the tail, and by the mildness of the natural disposition. I regret that the 

 materials in the Museum did not afford the means to illustrate the generic character : 

 the skull had been removed from the specimen sent to England, and unfortunately 

 was not contained in the general collection of objects of comparative anatomy from 

 Sumatra, which has been deposited at the Museum of the Royal College of 

 Surgeons. 



