THE ROYAL NATURAL HISTORY. 
MAMMALS. 
CHAPTER XVI. 
Carnivore s,— continued. 
Bears. 
t 
Family UllSlDsE. 
The bears are so different in appearance from the other Carnivores that no one 
could fail to recognise their representatives at a glance, or would hesitate to admit 
that, so far at least as living forms are concerned, they are entitled to constitute a 
group by themselves. The number of species included in the family is compara¬ 
tively small; and the whole of them are arranged under three genera, two of 
which are represented by but a single species each. 
Bears differ from the Carnivores hitherto noticed in an important feature 
connected with the hinder-part of the under-surface of the skull. Thus, whereas 
in all the preceding families the so-called tympanic bulla at the base of the 
internal portion of the ear forms an inflated bladder-like capsule, which is 
VOL. II. — i 
