46G URSUS. 



XIV. NOTES ON FOSSIL SPECIES OF UESUS. 



I. — Note on Fossil Kemains of Ursus in Museum at Nice. 



Nice, December 11, 1858. — Found one large detached canine of 

 Ursus, very perfect, presented by Dr. Perez ; also a fragment of an 

 upper incisive ; and a maxillary of a youngish animal containing three 

 incisives, with the canine broken off short, and the transverse section 

 of a very small premolar nearly touching the canine ; also several de- 

 tached molars, some upper, some lower. On a rough examination, 

 without the means of comparison, approximated them to Ursus prisms, 

 rather than to Ursus spelceus. Among the pieces sent to Gastaldi, 

 there is also an upper incisive containing a canine, crown broken off, 

 probably of the same species of Bear. 



II — Note of Lower Jaw of Ursus in the Norwich Museum. 



Norwich Museum, June 6, 18G2. — Ursus ? labelled, 'Cromer, 



from Miss Gurney's collection.' This is a left ramus, lower jaw, com- 

 prising the whole of the horizontal ramus from the incisive border back 

 to near the angle, the ascending ramus, with the angle and posterior 

 part of coronoid process, broken off; anterior edge of coronoid process 

 present. Sockets of three incisors present, without teeth ; canine in 

 situ, beautifully perfect, comparatively small in size, with facet of wear 

 inside towards upper third. 



Four last molars in situ beautifully perfect ; diastemal edge free for 

 about an inch and a quarter ; presents a small rudimentary stump-shaped 

 premolar in situ, very much resembling that of fig.- 35, p. 10G, of Owen's 

 ' Brit. Foss. Mam.' Dimensions : — 



Extreme length from incisive border to fracture, 9- in. From incisive border to 

 posterior edge, 7 - in. Width of ramus at symphysis over sheath of canine, 1-3 in. 

 Length of series of molars, 37 in. Extreme length of crown of last molar, 1- in. 

 Extreme width of ditto, 0-8 in. Length of penultimate, 1- in. Width of ditto behind, 

 07 in. Width of ditto in front, 0-65 in. Length of antepenultimate, 1' in. Width 

 of ditto behind, 0'55 in. Ditto ditto in front, 0'4 in. Length of last premolar, 

 0-6 in. Height of jaw to alveolar border between penultimate and last molar, 2-3 in. 

 Ditto to alveolar border at middle of last molar, inner side, 2-65 in. Ditto 

 at middle of last premolar, inside, 25 in. Height of jaw at middle of diasteme, 

 2-3 in. 



The chief characters to be noted are these. The last molar shows 

 the crown beautifully preserved, there being only slight marginal abrasion 

 along the inner side; the pattern of crown surface is very complex ; it 

 differs from other Bears in the great proportion which the last molar 

 bears to the penultimate ; the length being the same, and the width much 

 greater (vide fig. 35, above referred to, A. B. C). The penultimate has 

 the inner margin worn down to sublimate discs, the outer tubercles 

 being nearly intact ; form of crown oblong. The antepenultimate is of 

 about same length as two last, but more compressed, and more ad- 

 vanced in wear. The pre-antepenultimate shows the disc of one large 



