1906.] 



MR. OLDFIELD THOMAS ON A NEW FORM OP BEAR. 



231 



F.Z.S., a tooth of the Mammoth from the sand in the estuary of 

 the East Swale, about three miles west of Heme Bay. 



Dr. Walter Kidd, F.Z.S., exhibited lantern-slides of sections 

 of the skin from the palmar and plantar surfaces of Mammals. 

 Upwards of 70 species had been examined, and the present series 

 comprised 6 Marsupials, 3 Rodents, 10 Carnivores, and 17 Primates. 

 These groups presented certain common features as regards the 

 papillaiy ridges and the papillary layers of the corium, which two 

 structures were shown to be closely related in their varieties. 



Mr. Oldfield Thomas, F.R.S., F.Z.S., exhibited a skull of a Bear 

 from the Shan States which had been sent to him by Dr. A. 

 Alcock, F.R.S., Superintendent of the India Museum, Calcutta. 

 The Bear had lived for a short time in the possession of the late 

 Mr. Rutledge, a live-animal dealer, who had on its death pre- 

 sented it to the Indian Museum. No Bear had previously been 

 recorded from this part of Asia. The animal proved to be a 

 member of the Ursus arctos group, and appeared to be most nearly 

 allied to the U. a. yesoensis Lydekker, of Hokkaido, the northern 

 island of Japan, but evidently represented a different form. 



It was proposed to be called 



Ursus arctos shanorum Thos. 



Abstr. P. Z. S. 1906, p. 17 (March 27th). 



Size small. General colour dark brown, the hairs of the sides 

 tipped with grey ; an ill-defined darker line down the centre of 

 the back. 



Text-fig. 58. 



Skull of Ursus arctos slianorum, lateral view. 



Skull (text-figs. 58, 59 «) of the peculiar long, narrow, and 

 vaulted shape of that of U. a. yesoensis, but very much smaller 

 than in that animal. Nasals abruptly and strongly narrowing 

 in their posterior half. Breadth across postorbital processes 

 unusually small. Palate narrow. Premaxillae not extending back 

 to the level of the back of the canines. 



