MAMMALS OF MARYLAND 



141 



particularly field mice, deer mice, wood rats, and shrews, snakes, tur- 

 tles, and their eggs, lizards, insects, apples, beechnuts, corn, grapes, 

 hickory nuts, persimmons, carrion, wild cherries, and grasses as addi- 

 tional food items. 



The species is abundant in the Piedmont, Eidge and Valley, and 

 Allegheny Mountain sections. Forty gray foxes were taken in only 5 

 weeks in 1946 at Mount Savage, Garrett County (League of Mary- 

 land Sportsmen, Eally Sheet 4(10) , p. 6, December 1946). The species, 

 however, is not abundant in the Eastern Shore section. In fact, the 

 first gray fox ever taken on the Blackwater I^ational Wildlife Kefuge, 

 Dorchester County, was obtained as late as 22 October 1943. Appar- 

 ently much of the Eastern Shore section is too low, fiat, and marshy 

 for the animals' liking. 



Specimens examvmd, — Anne Arundel County: Fort George G. 

 Meade, 1. Charles County: La Plata, 1; Rock Point, 1. Dorchester 

 County: Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, 1 (baculum). Mont- 

 gomery County: Plummers Island, 1; Silver Spring, 1. Prince 

 Georges County: Beltsville, 1; Berwyn, 2; Landover, 1; Largo, 1; 

 Laurel, 11; Marlboro, 1; Oxon Hill, 1 ; Patuxent Research Center, 11. 



Other records and reports. — Allegany County: Mount Savage 

 (League of Maryland Sportsmen, Rally Sheet 4(10), p. 6, December 

 1946). Montgomery County: Cupids Bower (Bailey, 1923, p. 123.). 



Family URSIDAE (bears) 



BLACK BEAR 

 Vrsus americanus Pallas 



Ursus americanus Pallas, . . . Spicilegia zoologica, . . . fasc. 14: 5, 

 1780. 



Type locality. — Eastern North America. 



General distribution. — Wooded areas of North America, from Newfoundland 

 to Alaska, and south into central Mexico. 



Distribution in Maryland. — The black bear was once distributed 

 throughout the State, but today is on the verge of extirpation and is 

 found only in restricted areas in the Eidge and Valley and Allegheny 

 Mountain sections. 



Distinguishing characteristics. — Teeth 3/3, 1/1, 4/4, 2/3, = 42; 

 largest wild mammal in Maryland; toes armed with strong claws; 

 normal color both above and below black or very dark brown, except 

 for cinnamon patch across muzzle and sometimes a white blotch on 

 throat; pelage harsh and coarse. The black bear is so famiUar as to 

 scarcely need description. 



Measurements.— ''Totsil length, adult males, 1375 to 1780 nmi. (54 

 to 70 in.) ; tail, 90 to 125 mm. (3.5 to 5 in.) ; hind foot, 215-280 mm. 



336-897 O— 69 10 



