The remains of bears have been detected generally in the ossiferolla caverns of the south of France. The bones found in the largest proportion at the Grotto EVEchenoz, on the south of Vesoul, by M. Thirria, and examined by Cuvier, were those of Ursua 'whew. Bones of bears have been also found in the osseous breccia at Pisa, Nice, &c.
Ursua speltrua (Blumenbach), Great Cavern Bear. The skull of this extinct species is considerably raised above the root of the nose, so that the forehead, which presents two convex elevations, is a good deal curved. its size is about one-fifth larger than the largest of those of the Brown Bear (Ursus A rctos), or of the Polar lkar.
U. priscua (Goldfuss), has a smaller skull, and differs lesa from the crania of living bears than that of the preceding species.
We ought not perhaps to conclude this article without referring to those hybrids which were supposed to be the offspring engendered between a dog and a bear. Even at the present day there is an inclination to believe in the existence of such animals, but we need hardly observe that it is extremely improbable, to use no stronger term, that two animals, differing so widely in their dentition and general structure, in the periods of gestation and in their habits, should produce a mule. An ac
count of such a creature is given in the Histoires Prodigieuses extraictes de plusicurs Anionic Auteurs, Grecs of Latins, ancrez et prophnnes, divistiem en Cinq Tomes, le Premier par P. Boaistuau, Tome Premier, Paris, 1532? A. drawing of the animal is also given, of which we present a copy.
This animal the author states ho saw in England in the reign of Elizabeth, but the probability is that the author was deceived by the English bear-wards and dog-fighters of Elizabeth's time, and that some dog, selected for its bear-like appearance in certain points, an appearance aided by cropping the ears and tail, and other skilful arti fices, was palmed upon him and upon others as a hybrid engendered between a dog and a bear.