RODENTIA. 155 



it.(l) Their molars, five every where, are individually formed of 

 two vertical laminae soldered together, and in the upper jaw there 

 is a sixth, simple and very small. They have five toes before and 

 four behind ; an enormous caecum, five or six times the size of the 

 stomach, furnished internally with a spiral fillet, which traverses its 

 length. The inside of their mouth, and the under part of the feet 

 are lined with hairs like the rest of the body. 



Lepus, Cuv. 



Or the true Hares, have long ears ; a short tail ; the hind feet 

 much longer than the fore ones ; imperfect clavicles, and the infra- 

 orbitary spaces in the skeleton reticulated. The species are so 

 numerous and similar, that it is difficult to characterise them. 



L. timidus, L. j Buff. VII, xxxviii. (The Common Hare.) 

 Of a yellowish grey ; the ears one-tenth longer than the head; 

 ash coloured behind ; black at the tips ; tail the length of the 

 thigh, white, with a black line above. 



Every one knows this animal, whose dark flesh is excellent 

 food, and whose fur is useful. It lives solitarily, never burrows, 

 sleeps on the open ground, when hunted describes large" circles, 

 and has never yet been domesticated. 



L. variabilis, Pall., Schreb. CCXXXV, B. (The Variable 

 Hare.) Somewhat larger than the preceding, with rather shorter 

 cars and tail, the latter white at all seasons ; the rest of the fur 

 is grey in summer, and white in winter. This animal, which is 

 found in the North, and on the high mountains of the south of 

 Europe, has the habits of the common Hare, but its flesh is 

 insipid. (2) 



L. cuniculus, L. ; Buff*. VI, 1. (The Rabbit.) Less than the 

 Hare ; the ears somewhat shorter than the head ; tail not so long 

 as the thigh ; fur of a yellowish-grey; some red on the neck ; 

 throat and belly whitish ; ears grey, without any black ; some 

 brown on the tail. This animal, said to be originally from 

 Spain, is now found throughout all Europe. It lives in troops, 

 in burrows, to which it flies for shelter when pursued. Its flesh, 

 which is white and agreeable to the palate, differs considerably 

 from that of the Hare. In a domestic state the Rabbit multi- 

 plies prodigiously, and varies as to colour and fur. 



Other countries furnish several species which can only be 



(1) There is even a pei-iod when they are shedding their teeth, during which 

 they appear to have three incisors, one behind the other, six in all. 



(2) This species inhabits all the northern and colder part of the American conti- 

 nent, .im. Ed. 



