398 Fietp Museum or Natura History — Zooroey, Vou. XI. 
Type locality — Eastern North America. 
Distribution — Practically the whole of North America, from Texas 
to Labrador and Alaska; replaced in the Gulf States, Labrador, 
and the extreme West and Northwest by allied forms. 
Description — Size large; body thickly furred; general color black 
(sometimes brown), often with a white spot on the breast; ears 
rounded; face tinged with cinnamon brown or tan brown. 
Measurements — Size variable; adult males from Wisconsin will general- 
ly weigh from 250 to 350 lbs. and have a total length of from 60 to 
7o inches; height at the shoulder, about 30 inches; tail, about 5 
inches; and hind foot, about 8 inches. 
Up to the middle of the last century Black Bears were common 
in wooded localities in Illinois, and probably a few individuals sur- 
vived in the northwestern and southern parts of the state to a con- 
siderably later date. There have been rumors of Bears having been 
seen in the swampy country in extreme southern Illinois as late as 1885 
or 1890, but the evidence is unsatisfactory. The latest authentic 
record I can find for Illinois is that of Mr. C. J. Boyd of Anna, who 
writes: ‘‘The last Bear was killed by David Brown in 1860 in the 
hills near Alexander Co.” Kennicott (1854) states that Bears were 
formerly seen in Cook Co. (J. ¢., p. 578); and Thomas (1859) says, 
“Tt is occasionally seen in the southern part of the state, although once 
- found in considerable numbers” (/. c., p. 656). So much for Illinois. 
According to Hahn it was found in Indiana at a somewhat later 
date, as he records one being killed in Green County in 1870 and another 
in 1875. Two young Bears were reported killed in Knox Co., Indiana, 
in 1882 (J. ¢., p. 594). That they were common enough in the state in 
early days is shown by the statement of Dr. John T. Plummer, who 
informs us Bears were killed in the immediate neighborhood of Rich- 
mond, Wayne Co., and in the year 1824 some cubs were taken within 
a mile of the town.* 
Black Bears are, however, still common in northern Wisconsin. 
Jackson says: “Black Bears have reappeared in Oneida County since 
.1907 and are reported more plentiful in Vilas County. In late June, 
1908, a female and two cubs were killed near Wolf Lake, Oneida Co. 
and there have been reports of others seen in the region nearby” (I. ¢., 
p- 89). 
During the past six years I have made inquiries of a number of 
gentlemen living in various parts of northern Wisconsin as to the 
presence or absence of some of the larger mammals in their vicinity. 
Many of them are experienced hunters and are well acquainted with 
* Amer. Jour. Sci. & Arts, XLVI, 1844, p. 246. 
