3GG 



MONOC.UAl'IIS OF MOUTH AMERICAN UODENTIA. 



pelage very much worn and tht > colors faded, scorns to an questionably belong 

 to tli is species. 



Geographical distribution. — The present species is said to be unknown 

 in the Gulf States to the eastward or northward of Alabama. Audubon and 

 Bachman state that it is "numerous in all the swamps of the western part, 

 of that State, is still more abundant in the State of Mississippi, and in the 

 lower part of Louisiana", and that it was also obtained in Texas by Douglass 

 and Mr. J. \V. Audubon. Professor Baird considers doubtful its occurrence 

 "in the southern part of Texas". Dr. Lincecum, however, calls it "a widely- 

 distributed species", and says "it abounds in the canebrakes of Alabama, 

 Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Texas", where it is found "on all the 

 water-courses, even on the little branches", but "rarely on the uplands". The 

 specimens in the present collection from Southeastern Mexico, as far south 

 even as Merida, Yucatan, would seem to render probable its occurrence in 

 the lowlands bordering the Gulf of Mexico from Alabama to Yucatan. It 

 also occurs as far northward as Southern Illinois. Of this fact I am assured 

 by Mr. E. W. Nelson, who writes me respecting it as follows: U L. aquaticus 

 is abundant in the canebrakes near Cairo and Mound City, Illinois, and 

 doubtless extends as far up the Ohio as the mouth of the Wabash, at least. 

 It extends up the Mississippi as far as Cape Girardeau, to my knowl- 

 edge, and probably still further in suitable situations. It is so common in 

 the canebrakes near Mound City that a hunter informed me he had often, 

 during the winter months, shot as many in a day as he could carry." Pro- 

 fessor Baird also says, "Mr. Kennicott mentions a ' Swamp Rabbit' as occur- 

 ring in the wet grounds of New Madrid, Missouri.'' 



Table LVIII. — Measurements of Lupus aquaticus. 



