QUATEENAET FAUNA OP GIBEALTAE. 73 



existence of a large Bear on the African continent from the period when it was still 

 continuous with Europe down to a comparatively recent period, if not to the pre- 

 sent day, although zoologists seem disposed to dispute its present existence in the 

 north of Africa. 



M. Bourguignat, in his Notice &c. (1867, p. 4), gives a very interesting summary of 

 the evidence afforded by various writers on the subject of the former and present exist- 

 ence of the Bear in North Africa, which appears to have been disputed as far back as 

 by Pliny, who nevertheless cites historical evidence to the contrary. With respect 

 to the present or very recent existence of a Bear resembling the European Brown 

 Bear, the authority of L'Abbe Poiret ' is quoted, who asserts that in the Atlas Moun- 

 tains the brown Bear is found, and is very carnivorous. During his stay at Mazoule an 

 Arab brought him the skin of a Bear which he had killed. 



In 1841 Mr. Edward Blyth^ related the capture in 1834 of a couple of Bears near 

 Tetuan, from particulars furnished to him by Mr. Crowther, an offiber of the 63rd 

 Eegiment. On these particulars was founded by Schinz ' a new species, U. crowtheri, 

 which was adopted by Pucheran ^ and by Gray '. Lastly, according to Capt. Loche ^ 

 author of several works on the mammalogy of Algeria, the Brown Bear (Z7. arctos) 

 would appear to exist in the Atlantic chain of mountains in Morocco, whence it often 

 invaded the French provinces. And the same writer states that he had seen at Mar- 

 seilles, seven or eight years before, a Brown Bear which had been sent by the Emperor 

 of Morocco. 



In addition, however, to this evidence, M. Bourguignat adduces that of M. Letour- 

 neiix, a councillor of Algiers, who states that whilst he was " procureur imperial " at 

 Bone he learned from the Ai-abs of the Edough that formerly, according to tradition, 

 Bears had abounded in that country, which committed great ravages in the vineyards. 

 On another occasion he was informed by the Arabs of Ouled-sidi-Bekri that Bears had 

 infested their mountains within fifty years ; and a man related that one of the last 

 Bears had been killed by his father. According to these people, the Bears in question 

 were small, thick-set, of a brown colour, with a white spot under the throat, very 

 fond of honey and fruit, and when fighting raised themselves on the hind legs. 

 The Caid Boa-Eoabi of Zardeza, whose district reached almost to Thaya,- assured 

 M. Letourneux that he had often seen traces and heard cries of the Bear in the moun- 



' Voyage en Barbarie, ou Lettrea ecrites de rancienne Numidie pendant les annees 1785 et 1786. Tom. i. 

 p. 238 (1789). 



- Proc. Zool. Soc. 1841, pp. 64, 65. 



" Synops. Mammal, p. 302. 18-42. 



* " Esquisse sur la mammalogie du continent Africain," Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1855, p. 499. 



^ Proc. Zool. Soc. 1864, p. 698. 



' Catalogue des Mamm. &c. de I'Algerie, p. 30. 1858. These characters, M. Bourguignat observea, cloaely 

 correspond with those assigned by himself and M. Lartet to U. faidherhianus. 



