OCR Text |
Show 1906.] MR. OLDFIELD THOMAS ON A NEW FORM OF BEAR. 231 F.Z.S., a tooth of the Mammoth from the sand in the estuary of the East Swale, about three miles west of H e m e Bay. Dr. Walter Kicld, F.Z.S., exhibited lantern-slides of sections of the skin from the palmar and plantar surfaces of Mammals. Upwards of 70 species had been examined, and the present series comprised 6 Marsupials, 3 Rodents, 10 Carnivores, and 17 Primates. These groups presented certain common features as regards the papillary ridges and the papillary layers of the corium, which two structures were shown to be closely related in their varieties. Mr. Oldfield Thomas, F.R.S., F.Z.S., exhibited a skull of a Bear from the Shan States which had been sent to him by Dr. A. Alcock, F.R.S., Superintendent of the India Museum, Calcutta. The Bear had lived for a short time in the possession of the late Mr. Rutledge, a live-animal dealer, who had on its death presented it to the Indian Museum. No Bear had previously been recorded from this part of Asia. The animal proved to be a member of the Ursus arctos group, and appeared to be most nearly allied to the U. a. yesoensis Lydekker, of Hokkaido, the northern island of Japan, but evidently represented a different form. It was proposed to be called URSUS ARCTOS SHANORUM Thos. Abstr. P. Z. S. 1906, p. 17 (March 27th). Size small. General colour dark brown, the hairs of the sides tipped with grey; an ill-defined darker line down the centre of the back. Text-fig. 58. Skull of Ursus arctos shanorum, lateral view. Skull (text-figs. 58, 59 a) of the peculiar long, narrow, and vaulted shape of that of U. a. yesoensis, but very much smaller than in that animal. Nasals abruptly and strongly narrowing in their posterior half. Breadth across postorbital processes unusually small. Palate narrow. Premaxilla? not extending back to the level of the back of the canines. |