1909.1 THE SKULL OP A BLACK BEAR FROM EASTERN TIBET.^ 607 



2. On the Skull o£ a Black Bear from Eastern Tibet, with a 

 Note on the Formosan Bear. By R. Lydekker *. 



[Received May 1, 1909.] 

 (Text-figures 186 & 187.) 



On page 198 of the ' Fauna of British India : Mammalia,' 

 Dr. Blanford states that the Himalayan Black Bear is unknown 

 in Tihet ; and it is for that reason he employed for the species 

 the name Ursus torquatus instead of U. tibetanus (or thihetanus, 

 as it is spelt by F. Cuvier). 



The British Museum has, however, the skull of a female of 

 this species from the mountains of Sze-chuen, which was collected 

 by Berezowsky and obtained by exchange with the Tring Museum 

 in 1896, This, of course, is no proof that the species occurs in 

 Eastern Tibet itself, although it affords a strong presumption 

 that such may be the case. Decisive evidence on this point is, 

 however, afforded by the skull and skin of aii old and presumably 

 male bear of this species shot by Captain Malcolm McIsTeill, some 

 distance to the westward of Ta-chien, in Eastern Tibet, which 

 have been submitted to me for determination. The skull has been 

 secured for the Museum. The skin, which is in winter coat, 

 differs from that of any Himalayan specimens of U. torquatus 

 that have since come under my notice — and I have handled a 

 o-ood many — by the greater length and softness of the hair. The 

 skull (text-fig. 186 A, p. 608), as compared with a full-grown 

 and probably male, but rather younger, Himalayan specimen of 

 the same approximate length (text-fig. 186 B), is characterised 

 by the much smaller size of the cheek-teeth, as will be apparent 

 from the following measurements and the accompanying text- 

 figures. 



Himalaj'an. Tibetan. 



Basal length of skull 10-15 ins. 9*9 ins. 



Maximum zygomatic width of do. .. 6'5 6*7 



Length of last 3 upper cheek-teeth ... 2*6 2-13 



,, „ „ upper molar 1*3 0-98 



Width „ „ „ „ 0-7 0-6 



Length „ „ 3 lower cheek-teeth ... 2-7 2-18 



„ ,, ,, lower molar 0*8 0*61 



Width „ „ „ „ 0-6 0-42 



Length of penultimate lower molar .. . 0-9 0-8 



In this table it will be noticed that the Tibetan skull is rather 

 broader, both actually and proportionately, than the Himalayan 

 specimen. As regards the cheek-teeth the most important feature, 



* Communieated by permission of the Trustees of the British Museum. 



