Vol. 31, pp. 35-36 May 16, 1918 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF Tin; 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



A NEW HARE FROM BRITISH EAST AFRICA. 



BY N. HOLLISTER. 



[.Published by permission of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution.] 



A study of the African hares in the collection of the United 

 States National Museum has shown the necessity for recognizing 

 the following new subspecies : 



Lepus capensis abbotti, subsp. nov. 



Type from plains east of Mount Kilimanjaro, British East Africa; ? 

 adult, skin and skull. U. S. National Museum, No. HttI- Collected 

 September 20, 1888, by Dr. W. L. Abbott. 



Characters. — One of the chain of subspecies of Lepus capensis, most 

 resembling typical capensis and Lepus capensis crawshayi. Differs from 

 L. c. capensis in generally richer coloration and in the deeper ochraceous 

 sides, limbs, and nape; ears browner, less gray. From its nearest geo- 

 graphical neighbor, L. c. crawshayi, which, when in fresh pelage, is also 

 rather a richly colored form, it is distinguished by the more ochraceous 

 tone of the buffy hair rings above; more ochraceous, less blackish, 

 shoulders and sides of neck ; deeper ochraceous nape-patch, throat-patch, 

 sides, and limbs ; and browner ears. The ears average slightly shorter than 

 in crawshayi. Skull as in crawshayi but with rostrum and nasal bones 

 longer. A young example in juvenile coat is decidedly darker (more 

 brownish, less gray) than the young of crawshayi in corresponding pelage, 

 with much deeper colored nape and throat. 



Measurements of type specimen. — Ear from notch, dry, 82 millimeters. 

 Skull: Occipitonasal length, 87.5; condylobasal length, 76.9; zygomatic 

 breadth, 40.5; interorbital constriction, 15.9; postorbital constriction, 

 10.3. breadth of braincase, 28.7; diagonal length of nasals, 38.8; great- 

 est breadth of nasals, 19.7; maxillary tooth row, 15.3; mandibular tooth 

 row, 16.1. 



Remarks. — The resemblance of the hare from the Kilimanjaro plains to 

 Lepus capensis capensis of South Africa has been noted by various 



10— Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., Vol. 31, 1918. (35) 



