ORDER CARNASSIER. 239 



sion it creates, it would be highly improper to retain the 

 English name adopted by these gentlemen, and we shall 

 therefore take the liberty of calling this animal the Thick- 

 lipped Bear. 



In speaking of the Brown Bear, we remarked the diffi- 

 culty of distinguishing the various species of this genus 

 Ursus, and the state of ignorance in which we yet are con- 

 cerning them. It appears evident that they are now spread 

 through almost all the countries of the world, a fact in 

 utter contradiction to the opinion formerly received on this 

 subject. The Bears, indeed, appeared so essentially consti- 

 tuted to inhabit the coldest climates, that they were con- 

 ceived to be exclusively peculiar to them, and the possibility 

 of their existence in countries within the tropics was de- 

 nied. At the present day, however, it is clearly decided 

 that these animals belong to one of those cosmopolite ge- 

 nera, the privileged species of which may be found in every 

 latitude, and can support every degree of temperature. 



That Bears were to be found in Southern Asia was 

 known for some time previous to their being admitted into 

 our scientific catalogues. Marsden, in his History of Su- 

 matra, tells us of a Bear of this country called Brourong. 

 Williamson, in his Oriental Field Sports, gave a figure of 

 a Bear in the peninsula of India. Peron made a commu- 

 nication to the Baron of the existence of these animals in 

 the Gattes mountains ; and M. F. Cuvier received an ac- 

 count from M. Leschenault of a Bear which he had seen at 

 Java, of the middle size, and with a yellowish spot on the 

 neck, like a gorget. This last was evidently the Ursus 

 Malayanus, just described. It was not imagined by natu- 

 ralists that one of these very Bears had lived in Europe, 

 had been drawn, and a description of it published. This cir- 

 cumstance is worthy of attention, for while it demonstrates 

 an error not likely to be renewed, it also proves the progress 

 which naturalists have made in the knowledge of the Mam- 



