LUPUS 531 



1. Thornhill, Dumfriesshire. H. S.Gladstone 7. S. 7. 1. 



(C&1-). 



2. New Galloway, Kircud- Col. Gordon Jlaitland 95. 10. G. 1-2. 



brightshirc. (c & p). 



6, 3 ?. Clonas. W. R. Ogilvie-Grant 99. 2. 17. 1-4. 



LEPUS HIBERNICUS ]5ell. 



1833. Irisli Hare Yarrell, Proc. Zool. Soc, London, p. 88. No technical 



name. 

 1837. Lepiis hibernicus Bell, History of Brit. Quadrupeds, p. 341. 

 1857. [Lcpus variabilis] a. Form der warmeren Klimate, Blasius, Siiuge- 



thiere Deutschlauds, p. 424 (part). 

 1900. Lcpus timidiis hibernicus Barrett-Hamilton, Proc. Zool. Soc, 



London, p. 89. 

 1900. Lcpus timidus Intcsccns Barrett-Hamilton, Proc. Zool. Soc, London, 



p. 89 (Douobate, Co. Dublin, Ireland). Type in British Museum. 

 190G. Llepus] t[i'midus'] hibernicus Hilzheimer, Zool. Anzeiger, xxx, p. 510, 



August 14, 190G. 

 1910. Lcpus timidus hibernicus and L. timidus lutesccns Trouessart, Faune 



Mamm. d'Europe, p. 216. 



Tijpc local ifij. — Ireland. 



(TCoyrajiJiieal i1isfriJ)utlou. — Ireland, chiefly in the more hilly 

 districts. Now introduced and established in iiortions of AVales 

 and Scotland (Carnarvonshire and the island of Mull). 



Dia(/nosif<. — Differing from the other Euroijean members of 

 the Lcpus ti mill us group in its strongly russet colour and in the 

 jjartial or complete absence of the white winter coat. 8ize 

 noticeably greater than in its nearest geographical ally, 

 L. iiiuidun scoticus. 



Co/o«r.— General colour of upper parts a finely and incon- 

 s]iicuoush' grizzled russet brown, approaching the russet and 

 wood-brown of Ridgway, brighter and more reddish on shoulders 

 and back, paler, though strongly russet, on crown and face, 

 duller and fading to ochraceous-buff" on cheeks, sides, and outer 

 surface of legs ; nape and back of neck to between shoulders 

 scarcely grizzled, the nape usually with a sufiusion of drab. The 

 colours on the back are arranged as follows : underfur (15 mm.) 

 light pearl-grey (about grey No. 10 of Ridgway) at base, the 

 terminal half of the hairs abruptly light russet ; longer hairs 

 (25 mm.) light pearl-grey at extreme base, becoming black at 

 level of russet portion of shorter hairs, each with a dull butt sub- 

 terminal annulation about 4 mm. long and a rather shorter black 

 tip ; a few still longer hairs (35 mm.) entirely black except the 

 grey base. Rump usually with an evident greyish cast, this 

 often rather conspicuous in winter specimens, the black tips to 

 the hairs occasionally jiroducing a markedly clouded ett'ect. Tail 

 white, usually with a bluish tinge, the upper surface sprinkled 

 to a varying degree with blackish or brownish hairs, these 

 occasionally producing a decided grizzled effect, and never 



2 Ji 2 



