592 



REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST. 



out being pinched by their chel^, but I am unable now to say just 

 how the feat was accomplished. He showed a disposition to attack 

 poultry, but was never given an opportunity to do so. 



Raccoons are near relatives of the bears and resemble them in 

 many habits., Their fingers are long and flexible and the thumb is 

 somewhat separated from the other digits, although not opposable to 

 them. Hence they possess considerable agility with their hands and 

 use them to pick up and hold food. They can also rear up on their 

 hind feet and move about quite actively in this position. 



Family URSIDAE. 



BEARS. 



Animals of large size, with rudimentary tail and plantigrade 

 toes, five on both fore and hind feet ; claws not retractile ; teeth in 

 American species, 42. 



Bears are found in all of the continents except Australia. Four 

 or five genera are now recognized, most of which contain only a few 

 species. Two genera are represented in North America. The one 

 contains only the polar bear and the other is divisible into three 

 subgenera of which the Kadiak, grizzly and black bears are the 

 American representatives. Only one genus is found in the eastern 

 United States. 



Genus Ursus Linnaeus. 



Ursus Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, Vol. I, p. 47, 1758. 



Dental formula.— I, ijE^; C, j^J; Pm, M, = 42. 



Generic characters. — Color never white ; head short and broad 

 with very heavy jaw teeth. There is no danger of confusing the 

 genus with any other in North America. 



The genus occurs in the northern half of both eastern and west- 

 ern hemispheres and also has representatives in South America. . 

 Sixteen or 18 species are found in North America. Only one species 

 is found in the northeastern part of the United States. 



TIRSTTS AMEKICANUS P;ill:is. 

 BLACK BEAR. 



UrsLi.'i americanus Pallas, Spicilegia zoologica, fasc. 14, p. 5, 

 1780. 



Evermann and l^>utler, l^roc. Ind. Acad. Sci. for 189;i, p. V^6, 

 1894. 



Diagnostic characters. — Front claws not longer than liind ones; 

 color black or dark brown. 



