490 



RODENTIA 



than the posterior, the inner half of anterior border of smaller 

 section broadly applied to middle of posterior border of larger 

 section, the posterior enamel wall of anterior section forming a 

 high, simple transverse ridge completely crossing crown. 



Remarks. — The well-known European rabbit needs no special 

 comparisons with other members of the fauna. In different 

 parts of its range it is represented by two local races. 



KEY TO THE SUBSPECIES OF OBYCTOLAGUS CUNIGULUS. 



Occipitonasal length of largest skulls, 78 to 82 mm. ; 



hhid foot, 83 to 93 mm. (Central Europe) 0. c cunicultis, p. 490. 



Occipitonasal length of largest skulls, 71 to 77 mm. ; 



hind foot, 72 to 82 mm. (Mediterranean region, 



Azores, &c.) 0. c huxleyi, p. 491. 



Oryctolagus cuniculus cuniculus Linnreus. 



1758. [Lcxnis] cuniculus Linnteus, Syst. Nat., i, 10th ed., p. 58. 



1837. ? Lepiis vernicularis Thompson, The Athenaeum, p. 468. Nomen 



nudum (Ireland). 

 1843. ? Lcpus vennicula Gray, List Spec. Mamm. Brit. Mus., p. 128. 



Nomen nudum. 

 1857. Lcpus cuniculus Blasius, Siiugethiere Deutschlands, p. 426. 

 1867. Cuniculus fodiens Gray, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., 3rd ser., xx, 



p. 225, September, 1847 (Substitute for cuniculus). Type in 



British Museum. 

 1904. 0[_ryctolagiis~] cuniculus Lyon, Smithsonian Miscell. Coll., xlv, 



p. 406, June 15, 1904. 

 1910. Oryctolagus cuniculus Trouessart, Faune Mamm. d'Europe, p. 215. 



Type locality. — Germany.* 



Geographical distribution. — Central Europe north of the 

 Mediterranean region ; west to Ireland. 



Characters.— iiize large (occipitonasal length of largest skulls, 

 78 to 82 mm. ; hind foot, 83 to 93 mm.) ; black of upper parts 

 usually producing an evident clouded effect. 



Measurements. — Adult male and female from Clandeboye, 

 Belfast, Ireland : head and body, 420 and 408 ; tail, 47 and 63 ; 

 hind foot, 87 and 85 ; ear, 68 and 65. Adult male and female 

 from Tidmarsh, Berkshire, England : head and body, 408 and 

 392 ; tail, 63 and 64 ; hind foot, 92 and 86 ; eai', 70 and 70. 

 Adult female from Lezayre, Isle of Man : head and body, 437 ; 

 tail, 66 ; hind foot, 91 ; ear, 70. Two adult females from 

 Ingelheim, Rheinhessen, Germany : head and body, 407 and 418 ; 

 tail, 68 and 62 ; hind foot, 90 and 87 ; ear, 70 and 73. For 

 craneal measurements ses Table, p. 492. 



Specimens examined. — Forty-six, from the following localities : — 

 Ireland : Belfast, 8 ; Clandeboye, Belfast, 1 ; Dumdrum, Tipperary, 1 ; 

 Kilmanock, Waterford, 2; no exact locality, 1 (skull). 



* Based mainly on the domestic rabbit and on Gesner's account of the 

 rabbit (wild and tame) of Germany. That the wild rabbit of Germany was 

 considered by Linnaeus as the typical animal is indicated by his statement : 

 "Habitat in Europa australi." 



