LEPORID.E 185 



The name l\al)l)il ])rcn)erly 1>el()ni;s only to a particular spec- 

 ies of Hare, the iMiropean Kahbit {Lc/^iis ciiiiiciilus) , which is 

 well known in this country as the domesticated "iMi^iish" Kahhit. 



(icnns Lepus Linnaeus. (Hare.) 



Hind lei^s Ioniser than the fore legs; eyes large; ears long, 

 usually e(|ualing or exceeding" the head in length; inner side ot 

 cheeks haired; tail short; soles heavily haired; no naked pads 

 under the toes; pelag-e soft; skin thin; skull with distinct supra- 

 orbital processes; malar extending posteriorly in a short i)rocess; 

 occiput depressed; au(lit(M-y bulke large; incisors very short, not 

 reaching- as far back as the premolars ; coronoid process of lower 

 jaw a thin, low, more or less incurved plate, sometimes obsolete. 



Lepus campestris sierrse Mi^rriam. 



(Of the pkiins; of the moitntains.) 



SIERRA PRAIRIE HARE. 



///. suiiiiiicr; above grizzled gray, the hairs whittish for the 

 basal two thirds, then blackish, then almost pure white and the 

 tip agaim black ; eye ring, front edge and part of inner surface of 

 ear pale grayish buff; a liroad stripe of the color of the head on 

 the front side of the ear; back half of the convex side of the ear 

 and nape white; tip of ear black; an indistinct white spot on fore 

 head ; breast gray ; front side of fore legs and back side of hind 

 legs pale bufTy gray; soles brown; remainder of liegs and belly 

 white; tail large, bushy, white all around or with a narrow gray 

 stripe on the upper side. In zvintcr; white, more or less tingecT 

 with yellowish brown ; ears tipped with black. Simetimes the 

 change to winter pelage is incomplete. 



Length about 135 mm. (25 inches) ; tail vertebrae 100 (4) ; 

 hind foot 165 (6.50) ; ear from crown 150 (6) ; weight 6 to 10 

 pounds. 



