474 RECORDS OF BIG GAME 



distinctive, although these need not be taken into consideration in this 

 place. 



In consequence of the marked similarity to one another of most 

 members of the group, it is a matter of extreme difficulty to come to a 

 definite conclusion as to the number of species of bears — not that this 

 is a matter of very much importance one way or another. The typical 

 member of the group is the familiar brown bear {Ursus arctus) of 

 Europe, whose colour is generally a darker or lighter shade of brown, 

 but occasionally tends to grayish. The Syrian bear ( U. arctus syriacus), 

 in which this grayish tinge predominates, may be regarded as a local 

 variety, and the same is the case with the snow-bear of Kashmir 

 {U. arctus isabellinus), in which the colour is generally a light creamy 

 brown. European specimens probably seldom exceed eight feet, but 

 the huge Kamschatkan bear {U. arctus collaris) grows to nine feet. 

 Even more gigantic is the Kadiak bear {U. arctus middendorfi) of 

 Kadiak Island, Alaska; while the Yezo bear {U. arctus yesoensis) of 

 Japan is another large form, with much the external appearance of 

 a grizzly. The Alaskan bear {U. arctus dallt), from the mainland of 

 Alaska, is also a huge animal, slightly smaller than the one from 

 Kadiak Island, with more resemblance to an ordinary brown bear than 

 to a grizzly. The typical grizzly of the Rocky Mountains is a smaller 

 animal, with longer and straighter claws, but scarcely entitled to rank 

 as more than another local race {U. arctus horribilis'), next to which 

 comes the Barren Ground bear {U. arctus richardsont). Finally, the 

 last animal which can be included in this group of the genus is the 

 African bear {U. arctus crowtheri), of North -Western Africa, still 

 imperfectly known. The extinct cave-bear {U. spelceus^ is a large species 

 allied to the brown bear. 



The little blue bear {U. pruinosus) of Tibet, with more or less of 

 white on the head and shoulders, seems to form a distinct species. The 

 same is the case with the American black bear {U. americanns\ which 

 is generally black, and exhibits distinctive features in the skull and 

 teeth. Not improbably the Himalayan black bear iJJ, torguatus) is a 

 relative of the last-named species ; it may be recognised by the con- 

 spicuous white gorget on the breast. In Japan it is represented by the 

 Japanese black bear {U. Japonicus). The smallest species of the genus 

 are the very distinct Malayan bear {U. malayanus), and the allied 

 spectacled bear {U. ornatus) of the Peruvian Andes, the latter dis- 

 tinguished by the light-coloured rings around the eyes, from which 

 it derives its name. 



The most distinct of all the species included in the genus Ursus is 



