Feb., 1912. Mammals of Illinois and Wisconsin — Cory. 273 



Type locality — Supposed to be western Alabama. 



Distribution — Eastern Texas and Oklahoma, nearly the whole of 

 Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana (except on the coast), extreme 

 western Georgia and the greater portion of Arkansas, and north- 

 ward in western Tennessee and Kentucky to southern Illinois. 

 Description — General color of upper parts ochraceous brown, the 

 hairs tipped with black; nape, rump, upper sides of legs and upper 

 surface of tail plain ochraceous brown (not gray or grayish as in 

 mearnsi) often tinged with rusty; under side of neck buffy brown; 

 rest of under parts, including under surface of tail, white. 

 Measurements — • Total length, about 20.50 in. (521 mm.) ; tail vertebrse, 



2.75 in. (6g.S mm.); hind foot, 4.12 in. (104.8 mm.). 

 Habitat — Low swampy woods and bottom lands about rivers and 

 lakes. 



The Swamp Rabbit is a southern species found within our limits 

 only in the extreme southern part of Illinois. According to Howell 

 the northern limit of its range in the state is within a few miles of 

 Grand Tower, Jackson County, and a point about five miles below 

 Golconda in Pope County. 



This species prefers low swampy woodlands and bottom lands in 

 the vicinity of water, but I have taken it in the South in comparatively 

 high dry woods along river banks but never far from water. 



Audubon and Bachman say, "When chased by dogs, the Swamp- 

 Hare runs with great swiftness and is able to escape from them without 

 difficulty; but it almost invariably directs its flight towards the nearest 

 pond, as if led by instinct to seek an element in which all traces of its 

 scent are soon lost to its eager pursuers. . . . We have been in- 

 formed that it is a very common habit of this species when pursued, to 

 swim to the edge of some stream or pond, retreat beneath the overhang- 

 ing roots of the trees that may be growing on its border, or seek for a 

 secure shelter under the hollows made by the washing of the banks. 

 The swiftness of foot possessed by this Hare, and the stratagems to 

 which it is capable of resorting, might easily enable it to elude pursuit 

 but for this habit of seeking for shelter as soon as it is chased, which 

 is the cause of its being frequently captured."* 



I have never found a nest of this Rabbit, but according to Nelson 

 it differs but Httle from that of the Cotton-tail. He says, "J. D. 

 Mitchell of Victoria, Texas, informs me that the nesting habits of the 

 swamp rabbit are identical with those of the Cotton-tail (5. /. chapmani) 

 except that the nest is considerably larger and is placed in dry places 

 in river bottoms near a fallen log, dead stump, or pile of trash. He 

 * Quadrupeds N. Amer., I, 1846, p. 289. 



