LEPÜS NETSCHERf. 63 



Rabbit. Its ears however are much shorter , even shorter 

 than in L. hispidus : the tail also is extraordinarily short , 

 presenting the smallest number of vertebrae hitherto ob- 

 served in Hare-tails. The ground-color of the soft and rather 

 short fur on the upperparts of the body is a dirty yellowish 

 grey, passing to a very beautiful mahogany brown on 

 the haunches and hindparts. A black stripe , broad between 

 the eyes , narrower on the back , runs from the tip of the 

 nose , between the ears along the middle of the back to 

 the extremity of the tail'). A circle round the eyes, the 

 sides of the head behind the eyes , a Hue from these parts 

 to the base of the ears and downwards in a semicircular 

 curve round the cheeks to the corner of the mouth are of the 

 same black color. The same color predominates on the external 

 surface of the ears , further in a broad collar which on the 

 chest becomes a triangular patch with the top turned down- 

 wards. Another broad black baud commences on the 

 shoulders and is curved upwards to the black stripe on the 

 middle of the back with which it comes together just before 

 the haunches ; a simular broad baud runs along the 

 groins and approaches the black dorsal-stripe , whereas fi- 

 nally the thighs externally and a ring nearly round the 

 middle of the tarsus are also of the same black color. 

 On the rump and shoulders there is an admixture of 

 black hairs. The hairs of the underparts of the body . 

 inside of the legs , chin and those round the nostrils are 

 white. The fore-legs and the hairs on the sole of the 

 feet are of a more dark greyish hue. Whiskers entirely 

 white or entirely black, only a few are white with a 

 black tip. They are very numerous , longer than the head 

 and the longest r«ach to the middle of the ear. Ears much 

 shorter than the head , laid forwards the tip extends to the 

 hindmost corner of the eye or slightly beyond it. Head 

 broad; muzzle short; legs generally less developed than 

 usually; tail very short. 



1) On the hindmost part of the back this black line seems to acquire a 

 more or less zigzasjlike course. 



Notes froin the Leydeii ]MuseuiTi, "Vol. II. 



