ZOOLOGY. 65 



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most common species. Near San Francisco it is less abundant than Trowbridge's and Audu- 

 bon's rabbits and the Californian hare, but as we proceeded to the north we left these species 

 behind us — the first two immediately after quitting Benicia, the last in the hills of northern 

 California — while the sage rabbit continued with us into a new zoological district, where nearly 

 all his associates were different from those below. From the Cascade mountains it ranges east- 

 ward nearly to the Mississippi. 



The sage rabbit is considerably smaller than the common grey rabbit of the eastern States, 

 and his color is generally lighter, rather a blue than red grey, with a characteristic patch of 

 light red thin fur on the nape of the neck. They are very numerous on the sage plains, and 

 are hunted by foxes, coyotes, eagles, hawks, owls, and Indians. 



I obtained a fine specimen on the extreme headwaters of the Willamette river, at an eleva- 

 tion of about 5,000 feet, which had been struck by hawk or owl and killed, but the murderer 

 had left him, perhaps frightened off at our approach. The flesh of the sage rabbit is white 

 and good, not at all flavored by the artemisia among which he lives. 



Specimens were collected on Rhett and Klamath lakes. 



LEPUS AUDUBONII, Baird. 



Audubon's Hare. 



Baird, Gen. Rep. Mammals, 1S57, 608. 



Sp. Ch. — Size a little less than that of L. sylvatieue. Ears longer than the head. Hind feet rather short, longer than 

 the ears; fully furred heneath. Tail rather long. Abo»e, mixed yellowish brown and black, paler on the sides and throat. 

 Beneath, pure white-. Thighs and rump greyish. Back of neck rusty ; fore legs somewhat similar. Hairs lead color at 

 the base, on the middle of the back, (over the loins,) passing directly through dark browu 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 greyish, yellowish, or 

 reddish brown. 



This handsome hare is widely distributed over the west. It is the largest of the "rabbits" of 

 California, considerably exceeding in size the artemisia and Trowbridge's. It is killed some- 

 what abundantly in the hills bordering the Sacramento valley, and is usually to be found in the 

 market of San Francisco, where I obtained specimens. 



It is about the size of the grey rabbit of the east, (L. sylvaticus,) and the colors are similar, 

 though that of Audubon's hare may be called a yellowish, while that of the eastern rabbit 

 is a brownish, grey. 



LEPUS TROWBFJDGII, Baird. 



Lepus trowbridgii, Baird, Pr. A. N. Sc. Phila. VIT, April, 1S55, 333. — Ib. Gen. Rep. Mammals, 1857, 610. 



Sp. Cu. — Size small, less that of L. audubonii. Head small. Ears about equal to it in length. Tail very short, almost 

 rudimentary; hind feet very short, well furred, considerably shorter than the head. Color above, yellowish brown and 

 dark brown; beneath, plumbeous grey. Sides not conspicuously different from the back, but paler. Back of neck pale rusty. 

 Ears greyish and black on the external band ; ashy grey elsewhere, with little indication of darker margin or tip. 



This pretty rabbit was first obtained by Lieut. Trowbridge, U. S. A., a gentleman who has 

 done, perhaps, more than any other individual to develop the natural history of the Pacific 

 coast, and to him Professor Baird has very appropriately dedicated the species. This species is 

 quite common in the market of San Francisco, being killed in that vicinity, and is the smallest 

 of all the rabbits which are found there. It is readily distinguishable by the remarkable short- 

 ness of its legs ; its colors are darker than those of Bachman's hare or the sage rabbit, and 

 there can be no doubt that it is a perfeetly distinct species. Of its habits I could learn nothing 

 of interest. I saw it frequently in the scattered bushes on the sand hills back of the city of Sau 

 Francisco, where it resembled in movements and appearance the immature L. sylvaticus. 

 9 BB 



