Dr. E. Crisp on Hybridism among the Leporines. 



75 



One of my objects has been to point out some of the errors (as I 

 believe) that generally prevail respecting portions of the anatomy of 

 the oceanic ducks, and to show that several of the distinctions made 

 are not well-founded. In my concluding paper * " On the Presence 

 or Absence of Air in the Bones of Birds," I hope to exhibit other 

 differences, not before recorded, respecting the absence of air in the 

 humeri, and the muscular arrangement of the air-cells in some of 

 the Sea-ducks (so called). 



But lastly, as to the inquiry whether these hybrid dncks between 

 the Summer Duck, the Pochard, and the Ferruginous Duck are likely 

 to breed together as suggested by Mr. Bartlett, I have no hesitation, 

 looking to their anatomy, in which there is a great general resem- 

 blance, to answer the question in the affirmative ; but whether the 

 progeny of these hybrids will also be prolific, is a matter that time 

 only can determine. 



I now come to the more interesting part of my subject, viz. that 

 of the Leporines — hybrids, so called, between the hare and the rabbit. 

 It has been stated that M. Rouy, of Angouleme, has bred for the 

 market a thousand of these Leporines yearly — that they are fertile 

 both with the hare and the rabbit, and with each other. I have 

 written to M. Rouy, but up to the present time I have received no 

 answer. It is reported that the cross is effected by keeping the 

 animals together when very young. In the Society's Collection there 

 are now several of these Leporines, and two of them have litters of 

 young ; but whether they are of the first cross it is difficult to deter- 

 mine. The adult animals have a hare-like character ; they are large, 

 weighing about 5 lbs., with long ears and long hind legs ; but this 

 description will equally apply to some varieties of the rabbit. I have, 

 however, carefully examined the fur (microscopically and otherwise); 

 and about the hare-like character of this I think there cannot be a 

 question. The hair is long, and has the same party-coloured ap- 

 pearance (black and fawn) as in the hare — a peculiarity that I have 

 not seen in any variety of the rabbit. The disinclination of the male 

 for copulation is another feature very unlike the character of the 

 rabbit. Of the two females mentioned, one has five young ones, and 

 the other two : of the former litter two are black ; of the latter both 

 are grey : they are born blind, are wild, and, unlike the tame rabbit, 

 shriek when handled. The female makes her nest of down, and covers 

 her young. Mr. Bartlett has kindly given me one of his young Lepo- 

 rines, about three and a half months old, for examination. It was 

 bred between the male Leporine from Paris and a common black 

 rabbit. It weighed 3 lbs. 11 oz. Its fur and most of its external 

 characters partook chiefly of those of the rabbit ; and the same may 

 be said of its visceral anatomy : the trachea, lungs, and heart are com- 

 paratively small ; the length of the alimentary canal 1 7 feet G\ inches. 

 The flesh was white, and in flavour like that of the rabbit. 



With the above I have examined two hares and two wild rabbits, 

 male and female, and I have weighed ten adult specimens of each ; 

 the average weight of the hares was 6 lbs. 1 1 oz., that of the rabbits 

 * See P. Z. S. 1857, pp. 9, 215. 



