LEPORID^ 191 



ing black; sides brownish gray somewhat grizzled with black; in- 

 ner (concave) surface of ears mostly pale gray, front part of con- 

 vex surface brownish gray, tip black and remainder of outer side 

 light gray, nape tawny ochraceous or pale iron rust color; an inde- 

 finite grayish white area around the eye; outside of legs light red- 

 dish brown, their inner sides white; soles light sepia brown; throat 

 and belly white; underside of neck like the sides; tail compara- 

 tively long, its upper side similar to^ the back in color; on the hips 

 the clay color of the back is replaced by dull white. 



Length about 380 mm. (15 inches), tail vertebrae 50 (2); 

 hind foot 88 (3.45) ; ear from crown 90 (3.55) ; weight about 

 two pounds. 



Type locality, San Francisco, also San Diego, California. 



The Audubon Wood Hare is found from noith western Low- 

 er California north along the coast region of California to some 

 distance north of San Francisco and east to the Sierra Nevada and 

 San Bernardino Mountains. It is cominon in much of this area 

 and sometimes abundant. In eastern Califonia this form> is re- 

 placed by the subspecies amowee and in northern California by 

 nut tall i. 



The Wood Hares are not often found in dense forests or in 

 open plains. They prefer thickets of brush interspersed among 

 trees, with some open ground about. They like to feed in the 

 open ground, but hide in the brush when disturbed and in their 

 hours of repose. 



The food is preferably succulent herbs, but in places or sea- 

 sons when these are scarce they eat most species of small plants, 

 twigs and sometimes bark. Occasionally they do some damage to 

 young orchards by biting off the branches or tops of small trees, 

 rarely by gnawing large trees. They are frequently destructive to 

 vegetables in gardens and' grain crops. They can be prevented 

 from damaging young trees by taking advantage of their dislike 

 of the smell of blood and fresh flesh. The easiest way is to rub 

 the body of the young trees with a piece of liver or freshly killed 



