519 



LEPUS PARNASSIUS Miller. 



1903. Lepiis iMrnassius Miller, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, xvi, p. 145, 

 November 12, 1903. Type in U.S. National Museum. 



1908. Lepus eluropxus] parnassius Hilzheimer, Jahreshefte des Vereins 

 fiir vaterl. Naturk. in Wiirttemberg, p. 395. 



1910. Lepus europxus parnassius Trouessart, Paune ]\Iamm. d'Europe, 

 p. 221. 



Type localify. — Agoriani (Agokgianne), north side of Lyakuia 

 (Parnassus) Mountains, Greece. 



Geographical distribution. — Known only from the type 

 locality. 



Diagnosis. — General appearance much as in Lejnis creticus, 

 but size larger (hind foot about 135 mm., occipitonasal length of 

 skull about 95 mm.), and ear much longer (height from crown 

 about 130 mm. instead of 105 to 117 mm.), the black area on its 

 outer side noticeably more extensive ; skull with rostral portion 

 unusually long and slender ; no trace of jji'^ in the two specimens 

 known ; ?»3 with the two enamel cylinders broadly communi- 

 cating. 



Colour. — General colour of upper parts a coarse grizzle of 

 black and pinkish bufl', the latter slightly in excess, much less so 

 than the cream-buff of the corresponding region in Lepus europseus. 

 Actual colour bands as follows : (1) whitish smoke-grey, 12 mm., 

 (2) black, 7 mm., (3) pinkish buff, 5 mm., (4) black, 5 mm., the 

 first and second on the underfur, the others on the longer hairs. 

 Sides and neck not noticeably different from back, but the 

 grizzle less distinct owing to the replacement of the black of 

 underfur by hair-brown. Rump essentially like back, but with 

 a slight, inconspicuous greyish cast due to the light grey bases 

 of the hairs. The exact shade of this undercolour is about 

 Ridgway's grey No. 10 at base of hairs, darkening to grey 

 No. 7 near surface. Cheeks like sides but more finely gi-izzled, 

 and with a faint blackish wash below ear. An indistinct greyish- 

 buft' eye-rmg and loi-al stripe. Crown and face like back but 

 more finely grizzled, and bases of hairs wood-brown. Nape patch 

 ill-defined, an obscure russet wood-brown overlaid by the usual 

 buff. Ears light silvery grey (the exact colour not given by 

 Ridgway), except for the following markings : a very finely 

 grizzled stripe essentially concolor with top of head extending 

 up anterior outer surface almost to tip, and about 20 mm. wide 

 at middle ; a similar area 45 mm. long by 12 mm wide near 

 middle of posterior inner surface ; a black apical patch 40 mm. 

 long by 30 mm. wide on posterior outer surface ; a black apical 

 area on inner surface about 10 mm. wide ; a clear ochraceous- 

 buft'area 10 ram. in width between apical black and general grey 

 of inner surface ; a whitish line 3 mm. in width along inner 

 anterior margin from base to above middle. Feet, outer surface 

 of legs, fiank patches, and throat, dull ochraceous-buff. Under- 



