608 U. Ss. P. R. R. EXP. AND SURVEYS—ZOOLOGY—GENERAL REPORT. 
pale bar, as described, is a very peculiar one, only found in some small California species, (other- 
wise very different,) and in the LZ. aquaticus and palustris. The only important discrepancy is 
in regard to the feet, which are said to be densely furred, while in the specimens before me they 
are scantily furred, intermediate in this respect between ZL. palustris and sylvaticus. How constant 
this character may be here, I do not know; but if the species be not bachmani, I know not how 
otherwise to identify it in the many hundreds of skins of hares before me from all parts of 
North America. It cannot be either of the small California species, as I shall endeavor to show 
hereafter, while its reference to the small hare of the high plains of Texas and New Mexico, as 
made by Audubon and Bachman, is prevented by the peculiarity of color of the dorsal fur, which, 
in these Texas animals just mentioned, has the fur plumbeous at base, then reddish, then dusky, 
and then the subterminal yellowish brown bar, instead of a nearly black bar immediately suc- 
ceeding the plumbeous, to be followed by the yellowish brown annulus. 
At any rate, this species is very different from any other American hare except bachmani ; and 
rather than run the risk of loading science with a new synonym, I place it, for the present at 
least, under this species. Its scantily furred and short feet approximate it to L. palustris ; but 
it is otherwise very different in texture of fur, color, skull, and all important characters. 
List of specimens. 
= Measurements. 
2 
an 
Om = 
ro) 2 : 3 rc 
ee B12 | 8 Bee 
= z Locality. Whence and how obtained.| Nature of = ie 5B = = a a 
= to x = be Rg = =| = 5 ~ 
E = specimen. & K S 3 2 & | 5 e 
= 3 2 3) a = os a C7 = ° 2 
o A m 8 Ss = = - = =a ~ ee 
= a ° ° ° 9 = = = r=) ° ° 
8 @ = = = 2 ia (ei = Fae ere Pp || = 
gs] a er | ee arte oe Ue eel et Py yf 
re 5 3 3 ° = ‘3s Ss oS Cc) 
6 | 38 2 |e | Blobs |e hee] a | | eae 
234 | 1193 | Brownsville, Texas ...... Lieut. Couch,...eseeeeee SKIN .cccccesfeccece 2.60 | 12.60) 1.25 | 1.58 | 3 00 | 2.72 | 1.35 | 2.35 |....06 
243 | 1234 |...cceeeee dO is isiviewisiene coos Capt. Van Vliet ........- vidOscccccceve 1,25 | 2.70 | 15.00} 1.33 | 1.66 | 3.00 |...... 1.32 | 2.10] 2.42 
LEPUS AUDUBONII, Baird. 
Audubon’s Hare. 
Sr. Cu.—Size a little less than that of L. sylvaticus ; ears longer than the head ; hind feet rather short, not longer than the 
ears ; fully furred beneath. ‘Tail rather long. 
Above, mixed yellowish brown and black, paler on the sides and throat; beneath, pure white. Thighs and rump grayish. 
Back of neck rusty ; fore legssomewhat similar. Hairs lead color at the base, on the middle of the back (over the loins) passing 
directly through dark brown to black, then yellowish brown ; on the sides, rump, and fore part of back, the passage into the 
first brown or black ring is through grayish, yellowish, or reddish brown. 
Size less than Z. sylvaticus ; ears longer than the head, moderately coated with hair inside and 
out. Fur rather harsh, but softer than in L. sylvaticus. The feet smaller in proportion ; well 
furred beneath, about asin L. sylvaticus. Tail rather long. 
The general color of the fur above is a rich yellowish red brown, more yellowish on the sides. 
On the back this color is mixed with black, on the sides with brown. The sides are without 
the gray tint of L. sylvaticus; this, however, occurs to a certain extent on the rump and outside 
of the thighs. The color of the back runs down the sides along the anterior edge of the thigh, 
