54 Zoology of Colorado 



originally (1919) had it, and the form from the Jemez Mountains, 

 New Mexico, described in 1913 by Bailey, will be 0. s. nigrescens. 



Our Leporidae or rabbits consist of the jack-rabbits (Lepus) 

 and the cottontails (Sylvilagus). The so-called Belgian hare, 

 kept as a domestic animal, belongs to still another genus, and is 

 called Oryctolagus cuniculus. This is the common rabbit of 

 England, well known for its habit of burrowing. An American 

 zoologist, finding that the domesticated "Belgian hares" bur- 

 rowed, published an account of the fact, expressing his surprise 

 at this change of habits in the hare. He was, of course, misled 

 by the name; the true hare is a Lepus, allied to the jack-rabbits. 



The snowshoe rabbit, Lepus bairdi, of Hayden, is able to 

 travel on the soft snow by reason of its large hind feet, with 

 spreading toes. Also, like the ptarmigan, it turns white in winter. 

 It is not so large as the jack-rabbits, and its ears are shorter. 

 It belongs to the higher mountains, but has been known to come 

 as low as 6,500 feet in winter. The white-tailed jack-rabbits, 

 Lepus townsendii of Bachman and L. townsendii campanius of 

 Hollister, also turn white or pale in the winter. The tail is white 

 above, or with little black, and the profile of the skull is arched. 

 The townsendii form belongs to the western part of the State, 

 campanius to the eastern. The latter is more yellowish gray in 

 summer, with a broader black patch on tip of ears. The black- 

 tailed jack-rabbit, L. californicus melanotis of Mearns, inhabits 

 Colorado east of the mountains. It is really a very distinct 

 species, so that Mearns proposed for it a subgenus Macrotolagus. 

 There is a large black patch on the upper surface of the tail, and 

 the animal does not turn white in winter. There is a closely 

 related race L. californicus texianus of Waterhouse, which occupies 

 southwestern Colorado. It is much grayer, with longer ears. 



The cotton-tails of Colorado are divided into three species, 

 two of these again into a couple of races. In the mountains 

 almost throughout, going up to 10,000 feet or higher, Sylvilagus 

 nuttallii pinetis of Allen is a common animal. In southwestern 

 Colorado, the type locality being Coventry, is found S. auduboni 

 warreni of Nelson. It ranges from below 5,000 to 8,000 feet, 

 living amongst sage-brush and greasewood. In northwestern Colo- 

 rado S. nuttallii grangeri of Allen takes the place of pinetis, being 

 paler, the rufous on legs brighter, the ears somewhat shorter. 



