URSUS MALAYANUS. 
stiff hairs. Vibrissa few in number, and solitary, scattered about the lips. Cheeks 
even and regular at the surface, agreeing with the conical form of the head. Eyes 
situated far in front, but vivid and prominent; irides dark. -Ears very short, abruptly 
terminated, appearing as if cropped by art ; meatus auditorius covered with hair, 
arranged like a funnel. Throat regularly rounded, passing gradually to the neck, 
which is of a moderate length, and somewhat contracted behind the occiput. Body 
oblong, robust, elevated anteriorly between the shoulders, moderately distended 
about the abdomen, descending gradually to the rump, which is terminated by a 
short tail, consisting of an attenuated tuft of bristles, about an inch in length. 
Limbs robust : anterior extremities thicker near the trunk, tapering towards the feet, 
elevating the anterior part of the body by their vertical disposition ; posterior extre- 
mities with very stout muscular thighs, and short, somewhat curved, legs. Feet 
plantigrade, thickly covered with hairs above, naked underneath ; the fore feet some- 
what longer than the hind feet. Toes five, all resting on one plane, compressed, 
not deeply divided, nearly equal in length ; exterior toes on each side scarcely per- 
ceptibly smaller. Claws very long, strongly compressed and arched ; acute, rounded 
above, grooved underneath, of a pale corneous hue. The heel of the hind foot is 
slightly elevated in walking, and this foot is, on the whole, both shorter and narrower 
posteriorly than the fore foot. The colour is jet black on every part, except the 
muzzle before the eyes, which is dusky gray, and a white semilunar mark, with 
extended sides on the breast : the form of this mark is nearly represented by the 
letter U: the breadth is about an inch, and the length of each of the sides, from the 
general base to the extremity, is about six inches. The hairs are short and thickly 
disposed, so as to form a very dense covering; they are smooth, decumbent, or 
closely pressed to the skin on every part, excepting the upper parts of the head, 
neck, and shoulders, on which they are slightly frizzled. The length of the separate 
hairs is three-fourths of an inch, and they are rigid and strict. 
The characters which chiefly distinguish the Ursus malayanus from the Bear of 
India, the Ursus labiatus of Bhrinvilk, which it resembles in the paleness of the 
muzzle, and in the mark on the breast, have already been mentioned by Sir Stamford 
Raffles in his description. It is also distinguishable by the comparative short- 
ness of the tail, and by the mildness of the natural disposition. I regret that the 
materials in the Museum did not afford the means to illustrate the generic character: 
the skull had been removed from the specimen sent to England, and unfortunately 
was not contained in the general collection of objects of comparative anatomy from 
Sumatra, which has been deposited at the Museum of the Royal College of 
Surgeons. 
