LEPORID^E— LEPUS CALIFOENICUS. 357 



LEPUS CALIFORNICUS Gray. 



California!! Hare. 



Lepus californicus Gray, Charlesworth's Mag. Nat. Hist., i, 1837, 586; Proc. Zoiil. Soc. Lond., iv, 1830, 88 

 (name only, without a description). — Bachman, Journ. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., viii, 1839, 86 

 (description of Gray's original specimen). — Wagner, Suppl. Sclireber's Siiuget., iv, 1844, 110 

 (from Bacbmau). — Waterhousk, Nat. Hist. Mam., ii, 1848, 131 (redescription of Gray's and 

 Baclimau's specimeus). — Aud. & BAcn., Quad. N. Am., iii, 1853, 53, pi. cxii. — Giebel, Siiuget., 

 1&55, 450.— Baird, Mam. N. Am., 1857, 594, pi. lvii, fig. 2 (skull); U. S. aud Mex. Bound. Survey, 

 ii,ii, 1859, 47 (Lower Colorado River. Col.). — Newberry, Pacific R. R. Ex. &Surv., vi, iv, 1857, 

 63.— CoorER, Am. Nat,, iii, 1869, 470.— Suckley, Pacific R. R. Ex. & Surv., xii, iii, 1860, 104.— 

 Suckley & Gibbs, ibid., 132.— Gray, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist,, 3d ser., xx, 1867,224. — Allen, 

 Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., xvii, 1875, 435. 



Lepus richardsoni Bachman, Journ. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila,, viii, 1839, 88.— (See also Aud. & Bach., Quad. N. 

 Am., iii, 1853, 56.) — Wagner, Suppl. Scbreber's Siiuget., iv, 1844, 111. 



Lepus bennetli Gray, Zoiil. Sulphur, 1844, 35, pi. xiv. 



Of about the size of, or rather smaller than, Lepus callotis. Ears of 

 about the same length as in that species, with the hind feet rather shorter. 

 Above yellowish-brown, approaching reddish-brown, mixed with black. 

 Below light cinnamon; lighter, approaching white, along the median line; 

 more rufous on the chest, limbs, and sides, where the rufous becomes mixed 

 with black. Nape fulvous. Anterior half of the ear pale blackish-brown, 

 varied with fulvous; posterior half whitish, becoming white at the base; 

 fringe of the borders light fulvous; tip of the ear black. Tail black above, 

 the black extending forward in a broad line on to the rump; sides and below 

 pale cinnamon-brown. Limbs exteriorly finely varied with black. 



This species differs in color from L. callotis mainly in its stronger tints, 

 the rufous throughout the pelage being much stronger, and the intermixed 

 black hairs of the upper surface more abundant. 



The color varies considerably in intensity in different individuals; speci- 

 mens occasionally occurring nearly as pale as average specimens of L. callotis. 

 At other times, the rufous tint becomes nearly as strong as in Lepus europceus 

 {z=.timidus auct.) of the Old World. The amount and intensity of the black 

 on the ears is also subject to considerable variation. The small white spot 

 in the middle of the forehead, common to nearly all Hares when young, is 

 generally distinctly traceable, as it is also in L. callotis and L. campestris. 



The ear varies in length from 5.00 to 6.50, ranging generally between 

 5.50 and 6.00. The hind foot varies from 4.70 to 5.60, ranging generally 

 between 5.00 and 5.40. The hind foot thus is generally considerably (about 

 one-tenth) shorter than the ear. The length of the head is generally not more 



