528 RODENTIA 



Lepus timidus varronis Miller. 



1857. [Lepus variabilis] b. Form der Mittelregion und der Alpen, Blasius, 



Saugethiere Deutschlands, p. 424 (part). 

 1901. Le^ms varronis Miller, Proc. Biol. Soc, Washington, xiv, p. 97, 



June 27, 1901. Type in U.S. National Museum. 

 1906. Llepus] vi[edi>ts'] varronis Hilzlieimer, Zool. Anzeiger, xxx, p. 511, 



August 14, 1906. 

 1906. Llcpus] m[edius'] breviauritus Hilzheimer, Zool. Anzeiger, xxx, 



p. 511, August 14, 1906 (Bernese Alps, Switzerland). With regard 



to status see Mottaz, Bull. Soc. Zool. de Geneve, 1908, pp. 172-174, 



November 15, 1908. 

 1910. Lepus mcclius varronis Trouessart, Faune Mamm. d'Europe, p. 218. 



Type locality. — Hinzenberg, Grison.s, Switzerland. 

 Geoijraphical distribution. — Alps and adjacent mountain 

 chains, mostly at elevations above 1,300 m. 



Diaqnosis.- — -Decidedly smaller than Lepus timidus timidus, 

 the occipitonasal length of skull rarely if ever reaching 95 mm. 

 (usually 85 to 93 mm.) ; summer pelage lighter and more greyish ; 

 winter pelage always white, the middle of back usually with a 

 faint greyisli wash ; anterior portion of outer border of ear 

 nearly always buffy grey ; black area at tip of ear confined to rim. 

 Measurements. — Type (adult male) : head and body, 582 ; 

 tail, 53; hind foot, 144-6; ear from crown, 106. Two adult 

 males from Grisons, Switzerland : head and body, 570 and 585 ; 

 tail, 65 and 50; hind foot, 148 and 141; ear from crown, 

 98 and 101. Two adult females from the .same region: head 

 and body, 575 and 610 ; tail, 55 and 56 ; hind foot, 146 and 142 ; 

 ear from crown, 100 '5 and 99. Adult female from Padola, 

 Cadore, Italy : hind foot, 142 ; ear from crown, 101. Two males 

 from Col-de-Vars, Hautes-Alpes, France : hind foot, 138 and 

 139. For cranial measurements see Table, p. 533. 



Specimens examined ; — Twenty-four, from the following localities : — 



Fbance : Col-de-Vars, Hautes-Alpes, 2 ; above Barcelonuette, Basses- 

 Alpes, 2 (Mottaz) ; Petit Bornand, Haute-Savoie, 2 (Mottaz). 



Switzerland : Canton St. CVallen, 3 ; Hinzenberg, Grisons, 1 

 (U.S.N.M.) : Lugnetz, Grisons, 2 (U.S.N.M.) ; Obersaxen, Grisons, 1 

 (U.S.N.M.); Untervatz, Grisons, 1 (U.S.N.M); Grisons, no exact locality, 

 5 (B.M. and U.S.N.M.) ; Ceutovalli, Ticino, 1 (U.S.N.M.) ; San Lucio, 

 Val Colla, Ticino, 1 (U.S.N.M.). 



Italy: Padola, Cadore, 2 (Turin); Dronero, Cuneo, 1. 



Remarks. — The Alpine varying hare is a strongly characterized 

 race, which should perhaps be treated as a species distinct from 

 Lepus tivtidus. The winter coat appears to be always white or 

 incompletely white ; a special blue grey winter pelage like that 

 of '' sylvaticas" is unknown. 



2 6. Col-de-Vars, Hautes-Alpes, 0. Thomas (p). 8. 8. 10. 1.31-132. [: 



France. (C. Mottaz.) 

 9. St. Gallen, Switzerland. O. Thomas (p). 2. 8. 4. 52. 



(E. H. ZoUikofer.) 

 rf, 2 9 CMmns.(E.H.Zollikofer.) O. Thomas (p). 2.8.4.49-51. 



1. Dronero, Cuneo, Italy. W. Playters Stark 11. 1. 2. 111. 



(c & p). 



