8O VERTEBRATES : MAMMALS. 



the jaws than in other Rodents, and are always white ; 

 and the molars are always rootless. The fore feet are 

 five-toed, and the hind ones four-toed, and all well devel- 

 oped ; and at the lower part of the shank the tibia and 

 fibula are always united. The members of this family 

 have the feet clothed with hair beneath, and the inner 

 surface of the cheeks lined with hairs. The tail is short 

 and bushy, and is carried erect ; or it exists only in a 

 rudimentary condition. They feed upon bark, tender 

 twigs, and leaves. Some live in burrows, but most have 

 merely a. form, or nest on the ground, where they gener- 

 ally sit during the day. Hares have a curious habit of 

 stamping with their hind feet when they are alarmed or 

 excited. They are very timid. This family is represented 

 in nearly all parts of the world. 



The Genus Lepus is characterized by molars -, large 

 ears, short and bushy tail, hind legs powerful and much 

 longer than the fore legs. About twenty Old-World 

 species have been described, and rather less than that 

 number of North American. Although the name is ap- 

 plied to several of our species, it is probable that there 

 is no genuine North American Rabbit, of which the Eu- 

 ropean Rabbit, L. cuniculus, may be taken as a type ; but 

 our species of this genus are Hares, which are mainly 

 solitary in their habits, and do not construct burrows. 



The Polar Hare, L. glaciates, Leach, of Northern and 

 Arctic America, is twenty to twenty-five inches from the 

 nose to the tail, and is one of the largest of the hares. 



The Northern Hare or White Rabbit, L. amcricanus, 

 Erxl., of Virginia to Labrador and westward, is nine- 

 teen to twenty inches long ; the color cinnamon-brown 

 in summer, and in winter white, but showing yellowish- 

 brown between the tips of the long hairs. This species 

 lives in the thickest woods, rarely or never goes into 

 holes when pursued, but depends for its safety upon its 



