LEPUS 503 



the Atlantic coast and from Denmark to central France. This 

 is probably the form recently introduced in southern Sweden. 



Diaguoni.s. — Buft'y tints pale, approaching the cream-buff of 

 Ridgway ; rump usually not grey, always with evident darker 

 area continuous with black tail-stripe. 



Colour. — Underfur (20 mm.) silvery white at ba.se (occasionally 

 with a slight buffy tinge), becoming abruptly dark sepia slightly 

 beyond middle of hairs and blackish at extreme tips ; longer 

 hairs (30 mm.) whitish at base, dark brown at level of dark 

 portion of underfur, then with a cream-buff annulation 5-7 mm. 

 long and a shorter blackish tip. Clear area aloiig sides cream- 

 buff, darkening to a light, yellowish ochraceous-buff in inguinal 

 region and on outer side of fore leg. Collar light ochraceous- 

 buff. Rump greyer than back, but usually so suffused with 

 cream-buff as to form no marked contrast, its median area 

 always slightly darker than lateral portions. 



Skull and teeth, — In the typical race the skull attains nearly 

 the maximum size for the species, the occipitonasal length 

 frequently exceeding 100 mm., but apart from this, neither skull 

 nor teeth show any special features worthy of note. 



Measure iitents. — Two adult males and an adult female from 

 Haslev, Zealand, Denmark : head and body, 660, 680 and 640 ; 

 tail, 80, 82 and 7i; hind foot, 136, 147 and 138; ear from 

 crown (fresh) : 138, 131, and 125. Adult male from Ingelheim, 

 Rheinhessen, Germany: head and body, 571; tail, 98; hind 

 foot, 135 ; ear from crown (dry), 120. Two adult males from 

 Rheinthal, St. Gallen, Switzerland : head and bod)', 570 and 570 ; 

 tail, 100 and 85 ; hind foot, 136 and 137 ; ear from crown (dry), 

 117 and 115. Two adult females from Werdenberg, St Gallen, 

 Switzerland : head and body, 600 and 605 ; tail, 90 and 95 ; 

 hind foot, 145 and 144; ear from crown, 114 and 118 For 

 cranial measurements see Table, p. 510. 



Specimens examined. — Twenty-seven, from the following localities : — 



Denmark: Haslev, Zealand, 5; Zealand (no exact locality), 1. 



Belgium : Slype, West Plandei-s, 1. 



France : Near Paris, 1 ; Ktupes, Doubs, 1 (Mottaz). 



Germany: Brunswick, 3; Ingelheim, Rheinhessen, 1; Burg, near 

 Magdeburg, 1 ; south Germany, 6 (skulls). 



AUSTEIA-HUXC4ARY: Salzburg, 1 (U.S.N.M.). 



Switzerland : Flawil, St. Gallen, 1 (U.S.N.M.) : Rheinthal, St. Gallen, 2 

 (U.S.N.M.) ; Werdenberg, St. Gallen, 2 (U.S.N.M.) ; Wittembach, St. 

 Gallen, 1 (U.S.N.M.). 



Bemarlcs. — The typical form of Lepus europaeus is characterized 

 by large though not maximum size, and rather light, strongly 

 yellowish colour. It is probabl)' the most extensively distributed 

 of the western European forms. The pale winter coat is 

 occasionally assumed. 



5. Haslev, Zealand, Den- O. Helms (c). 8. 2. 15. 1-5. 



mark. 

 1. Zealand. Stockholm Museum (e). 46. G. 2. 71. 



