524 RODENTIA 



defined band about 5 mm. wide over upper lid ; ear with same 

 colour pattern as in summer ; underfur of back and sides bluish 

 grey (about grey No. 8 of Kidgway) at base (10 mm.), the tips 

 of the hairs (5 mm.) wood-brown on back, light buffy or buffy 

 grey on sides ; longer hairs of sides M'hitish, those of back dark 

 brown or blackish, each with a conspicuous annulation (about 

 4 mm. wide) of whitish cream-buff, the extreme tip black ; outer 

 surface of legs irregularly washed with light buffy wood-brown ; 

 underparts white, a little tinged with buffy on throat, where an 

 ill-defined collar is produced by the buffy wood-brown of underfur ; 

 tail white, tinged with bluish grey above, the black tip of ear 

 remaining in all cases as in summer. 



Skull. — ^In general form the skull resembles that of Or>/ctolngus 

 cuniculus. The size is, however, decidedly greater than in either 

 of the Eui'opean wild rabbits (occipitonasal length about 90 to 

 100 mm. instead of about 70 to 83 mm.) and the proportions are 

 more robust. There are also numerous differences in details of 

 structure. Most important of these are the peculiarities of the 

 postorbital processes, interparietal, and mesopterygoid region 

 already alluded to as generic characters. Brain-case relatively 

 shorter and wider than in Oryctolagus, its greatest width about 

 equal to distance from lambdoid suture at side of interparietal 

 to posterior base of postorbital process ; parietal region distinctly 

 flattened, the lateral convexity much less than in Oryctolagus 

 and Lepus europseus. Anterior half of frontal noticeably concave, 

 the orbital rims rising gradually but considerably above general 

 level of interorbital region. Malar less projecting posteriorly 

 than in Oryctolagus, its tip extending less than half way from 

 posterior border of glenoid surface to auditory meatus. Length 

 of exposed portion of suture between malar and zygomatic 

 process of squamosal about equal to height of zygomatic process 

 (in Oryctolagus it is much greater than height of process). 

 Upper border of malar thickened anteriorly, everted and 

 obliquely plate-like posteriorly ; elevated region in front of 

 lateral groove deep and narrow, the least distance from groove 

 to front of zygoma less than depth through same region. 

 Rostrum heavy and rather short, its depth to anterior rim of 

 alveolus of first cheek-tooth about equal to distance from latter 

 point to front of incisive foramen. Auditory bulla essentially as 

 in Oryctolagus, the anterior border more abruptly rounded off 

 than in Lepus europseus. 



Teeth. — The teeth do not differ materially from those of 

 Lepus europseus. Incisors both above and below more squarish 

 in cross section ; groove on anterior face of i^ in same position 

 as in the more southern animal ; root extending to suture 

 between premaxillary and maxillary, the entire course of the 

 tooth clearly indicated on outer surface of bone. Anterior 

 upper premolar usually less narrowly elliptical in cross section 

 than that of L. europseus, its inner re-entrant angle appearing to 



