348 VERTEBRATE ANIMALS OF THE UNITED STATES 



L. c. walla'd'alla (Merr.). Like L. c. deserlicola but darker, more 

 pinkish: northeastern California and northwestern Nevada and north- 

 ward to Washington. 



L. c. rickardsoni (Bach.). Color light yellowish buff: San Joaquin 

 Valley, California. 



L. c. hennetti (Gray). Color paler, more grayish; length 556 mm.: 

 coast of California from Gaviota Pass into Lower California. 



L. c. eremicus (Allen). Color much paler, dull grayish: southern 

 Arizona, east of Phoenix; Mexico. 



L. c. texianus (Waterhouse) . Color pale gray: central and western 

 Texas, New Mexico, northeastern Arizona and southwestern Colorado. 



L. c. merriami (Mearns). Color dark buffy brown: southern Texas 

 from the Trinity River to the Rio Grande; Mexico. 



L. c. melanotis (Mearns). Color bright ochraceous buff: Great 

 Plains from eastern South Dakota to Oklahoma and northern Texas and 

 westward to the Rockies. 



2. Sylvilagus Gray. The cottontails. Size moderate; interparietal 

 bone district; anterior ribs narrow and rod-like; ears and legs relatively 

 short: about 15 species, about 9 in the United States, the others in 

 Mexico; the young, when born, are blind and naked. 



Key to the United States Species of Sylvilagus 



ai Tail comparatively large and loosely haired and cottony-white 

 beneath; feet well haired, 

 bi In States east of the Mississippi. 



Ci Color gray .5. floridanus. 



G2 Color pinkish buff; black patch between the ears S. transifionalis. 



hi In States west of the Mississippi. 



Ci Ear between 50 mm. and 60 mm. long. 



di Color gray 5. floridanus. 



6.2 Color buff, in the Rockies and Great Basin S. nuttalli. 



C2 Ear more than 65 mm. long S. auduhoni. 



0.2 Tail comparatively short, densely haired; white or gray beneath. 



bi In the coastal belt of the Pacific coast S. bachmani. 



bo In the coastal belt of the south Atlantic coast. . .* S. palustris. 



bs In the south-central States 5. aquaticus. 



S. floridanus (Allen) {Lepus sylvaticus Bachman). Common 

 rabbit; gray rabbit; cottontail. Color dark gray or rusty brown; tail 

 white beneath; length 375 mm.; tail 45 mm.; hind foot 90 mm.: eastern 

 and central States and southern Canada; several litters of from 2 to 

 6 each are raised annually. 



