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Show 414 MR. R. LYDEKKER ON THE L^Pr- °", and skull of the Blue Bear of Tibet, the former of which is mounted aud exhibited in the M a m m a l Gallery. As this Bear has never been figured, I think the accompanying coloured figure of this specimen (Plate XXVII.) will be acceptable to naturalists, in order that they may see for themselves its very peculiar type of coloration. The skin and skull belong to a sub-adult animal of comparatively 6mall size ; the permanent molar dentition, although fully protruded, being practically unworn. The hair on the back and flanks is long, but that on the lower part of the legs shorter: and it seems probable that the animal was killed in winter dress. As regards coloration, the specimen is unlike any other member of the Ursus arctus group that has ever come under m y notice; the hue of the hair being either white or black, or a mixture of both. Thus on the face and fore part of the body white largely predominates, although in places there are some black hairs, and these are more strongly developed about the forehead, ears, and the fore part of the nape. On the hind nape is a pure wdiite band, or collar, followed by a nearly black transversely elliptical patch above the shoulder-blades. Over the rest of the body the hair is mingled black and white, so as to present a bluish tinge ; and the hind hmbs are similar, although the lower parts of the fore legs are almost black. The claws are whitish. As regards the skull, the large size of the last lower premolar, which is such a characteristic tooth in the genus, clearly indicates that this Bear is a member of the U. arctus group. Nothing very distinctive appears in the other teeth, although the last lower molar has the elongation generally found in the Himalayan Brown Bear. The cusps of all the cheek-teeth are relatively tall, but not, I think, more so than in some specimens of other members of the group. The upper carnassial is also proportionately large, but some examples of the Himalayan form come very close in this particular. The skull has a nearly straight profile, and in this respect differs very remarkably from crania of the same age of the Himalayan Brown Bear, in which there is a very sudden rise at the front border of the orbits, with a median depression at the root of the nasals. The difference in the coloration of the skin from that of the specimen described by Mr. Blanford is so great, that I have no hesitation in regarding the British Museum example as belonging to a distinct form, this being Blyth's Ursus prulnosus. And I may add that Mr. Blanford agrees with m e on this point, and considers that the skin he described under that name belongs to a large brown or grizzly Bear,-perhaps U. arctus Isabellinus or U. arctus collaris. I have never seen a Himalayan Bear with any approach to the coloration of the specimen now described, and, taking also into consideration the characters of the skull, it seems to m e that the Tibetan Blue Bear differs more from the typical U. arctus than does any other Old World member of the group. With regard to the proper name for this form, I am in some difficulty, seeing that U. prulnosus, Blanford, belongs to another form. I find, however, in |