502 



RODENTIA 



BemarJcs. — Lepus europseus is readily distinguishable among 

 the hares of continental Europe by its large size, long ear with 

 distinct colour pattern on dorsal surface, absence of white 

 markings on feet, and lack of noticeable contrast between colour 

 of sides of body and outer svirface of thigh. It is a plastic 

 species, readily becoming differentiated into local races. Seven 

 of these are now known to occur west of Russia.* 



Lepus europ^us europ.eus Pallas. 



1777. [Lepus] timidus Erxleben, Syst. Regni Anim., i, p. 325 (Not of 



Linnaeus, 1758). 



1778. Lepus curopa^us Pallas, Nov. Spec. Quaclr. Glir. Ord., p. 30 (Bur- 



gundy, France). 

 1783. Lepus timidus Schreber, Saugtbiere, pis. ccxxxniA and ccxxxiiin 



(Germany). Not of Liunseus, 1758. 

 1789. Ijcpus curopiKUs Scbreber, Saugtbiere, iv, p. 865. 

 1801. L^[_epiis\ t^imidus'] alhus Becbstein, Gemeinn. Naturgescb. Deutscb- 



lands, I, 2nd ed., p. 1096 (Tbiiringen, Germany). 

 1801. L^cpus'] t[imidus'] flaviis Becbstein, Gemeinn. Naturgescb. Deutscb- 



lands, I, 2nd ed., p. 1096 (Tbiiringen, Germany). 

 1801. L[epus'] t[;imidu.s'] nigcr Becbstein, Gemeinn. Naturgescb. Deutscb- 



lands, I, 2nd ed., p. 1097 (Tbiiringen, Germany). 

 1820. Lepus viedius Nilsson, Skand. Fauna, i, p. 224 (Zealand, Denmark ; 



based on specimens in grey winter pelage). 

 1857. Lepus timidus, b. IMitteleuropaiscbe Form, Blasius, Silugetbiere 



Deutscblands, p. 417. 

 1859. ? Lepus campicola Gervais, Zool. et Paleont. Francaises, 2nd ed., 



p. 47 (Nomen nudum based on tbe common bare of France). 

 1867. ? [Lepus timidus'] coronatus, rufus, cinereus, nigricans, maculatus, 



albus and niger 'Fitzinger, Sitzungsber. kais. Akad. Wissenscb. 



Wien, Matb.-Naturwiss. Classe, lvi, p. 161 (Austria). Nomina 



nuda. 

 1875. [Lepus timidus] var. argenteogrisea Konig-Wartbausen, Verzeicbniss 



der Wirbeltbiere Oberscbwabens, Saugetbi/3re, ]). 85 (Ulm, Wiirtem- 



berg, Germany). Probably based on an individual in grey winter 



coat. 

 1910. Ljcpus europieus and L. medius Trouessart, Fauna Mamm. d'Europe, 



p. 219. 



Tij23e locality. — Burgundy, France. f 



Geographical distribution. — Central Europe from Germany to 



* Tbe Lepus europxus carpathorum of Hilzbeimer (Zool. Anzeiger, xxx, 

 p. 512, August 14, 1906) from tbe Carpatbians may represent an eigbtb 

 race. Tbe difficulty of clearly understanding tbe various local forms of 

 European bares is greatly increased by tbe frequency witb wbicb tbe 

 animals are transported from one region to anotber for tbe purpose of 

 restocking exbausted bunting grounds. Lj. e. tyansylvanicus bas tbus been 

 taken to Denmark, and L. e. occidenfalis to Switzerland. Otber instances 

 of tbe same kind will undoubtedl}' be found. 



t Pallas refers to Daubenton's account of tbis animal for measurements 

 (Nov. Sp. Quadr. Glir. Ord., p. 2), and mentions no definite locality. 

 IPolonia and Pannonia are, be says (p. 5), inbabited by anotber form. 

 Daubenton's description (Buffon, Hist. Nat., vi, pp. 264-299) was based on 

 Burgundian specimens. 



