58 FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY ZOOLOGY, VOL. X. 



parts except throat white, somewhat more narrowly so than in nigro- 

 nuchalis. 



Measurements. Average of five adults: Total length 403 (390-415) ; 

 tail vertebrae 39.6 (35-43); hind foot 78 (75-80); ear from notch (dry) 

 52 (50-54). Skull of type: Greatest length 72.4; basilar length 67.5; 

 zygomatic breadth 33.7; width of mesopterygoid fossa 5.4; nasals 

 (diagonally) 30.7; interorbital breadth 17.8; diastema 21; palatine fora- 

 mina 19.8 x 5.8; maxillary toothrow, crowns 11.7, alveoli 14.3. 



Remarks. This black-naped rabbit is excessively abundant in the 

 vicinity of Maracaibo and in the similarly arid region on the east side 

 of the lake, extending in this direction at least to the Empalado Savannas 

 where it is rather rare. It is -sold daily in the market of Maracaibo 

 and it was there our specimens were obtained. The Venezuelans hunt 

 it at night with a torch made from a tightly wrapped bundle of dry 

 sticks, one man carrying the torch and another the gun, usually a 

 single-barreled muzzle-loader of the cheapest possible construction. 

 At other times small ground fires are kindled at intervals throughout 

 several acres and the hunter goes stealthily from one to the other 

 shooting such rabbits as have been attracted by the lights. The rabbits 

 seem to be exclusively nocturnal, not stirring even in the short twilight 

 of morning and evening. At daybreak or nightfall I repeatedly trav- 

 ersed localities much frequented by them but had no glimpse of one. 



The abundance of these rabbits at this locality combined with the 

 fact that specimens have not before reached a museum probably indi- 

 cates that their range is limited. They are quite distinct from the 

 rufous-naped species of the gabbi and brasiliensis series which occur 

 east and west in Colombia and eastern Venezuela respectively. From 

 the insular form, however, they are distinguished only by slight average 

 characters. 



? Sylvilagus meridensis Thomas. Merida Rabbit. 



Some small rabbit is of rare occurrence on the upper slopes of Para- 

 mo de Tama, but we were unable to obtain it. It is known to the natives 

 and we corroborated their reports by finding a few much-weathered 

 pellets of dung. 



Tremarctos ornatus major! Thomas. Northern Spectacled Bear. 



The spectacled bear inhabits the heavy forests of the Paramo de 

 Tama but is very seldom seen and at least in the particular localities 

 we visited is decidedly rare. We found no tracks and only one frag- 



