Vol. XI, pp. 147-148 June 9, 1897 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



LEPIJS BAILEYI, A NEW COTTONTAIL RABBIT FROM 



WYOMING. 



BY C. HART MERRIAM. 



In the summer and early autumn of 1893 my assistant, Mr. 

 Vernon Bailey, and I made a biological reconnaissance of the 

 middle part of the State of W^^oming, which we traversed from 

 west to east. On entering the Wind River Basin a short distance 

 south of the town of Lander, the first mammal to attract my 

 attention was a large, pale Cottontail with ears even longer than 

 those of the Arizona .Jack Cottontail (Lepus arizonse Allen). The 

 species was new to me, but I became well acquainted with it 

 during the remainder of the season, for throughout our course 

 in the Wind River and Bighorn Basins one or more were seen 

 every day, and not having been disturbed by man they were very 

 tame, often permitting us to i)ass within 20 feet (7 meters) with- 

 out taking alarm. When started they usually ran only a short 

 distance and squatted behind a sage brush or greasewood bush, 

 or ill the Inu-row of a prairie dog or badger, with their long ears 

 laid back on the neck. By rushing suddenly toward them sev- 

 eral were driven into these burrows. They were most active at 

 dusk, when their large white tails could be seen flashing in va- 

 rious directions. When at rest the tails are lowered and appar- 

 ently narrowed, so that the gra}'' of the upper surface conceals 

 the white, but the instant the animal starts the tail is raised and 

 bent up on the rump. When partly erected it seems to curve to 

 the left, but when fully up and pressed against the rump it was 

 found to curve to the right (convexity to the left) in seven cases 

 out of eight. In all of these respects it resembles the tail of the 



35— Biol. Soc. Wash., Vol. XI, 18'J7 (147) 



