﻿MAMMALS OF NORTHERN COLOMBIA — HERSHKOVITZ 349 



Measurements. — Those of the type, an old female, followed by those 

 of a young adult male topotypo: Total length, 420, 422; hind foot, 85, 

 82; ear, dry from notch, 54, 54; condylobasal length 68.0, 64.9; 

 zygomatic breadth, 36.2, 35.1; greatest length of nasals, 35.6, 33.5; 

 greatest combined width of nasals across premaxillary sutures, 14.8, 

 14.4; least length oi palatal bridge, 7.0, 6.6; greatest distance between 

 outer sides of maxillary plates of tooth rows, 23.5, 23.6; alveolar length 

 of molar row, 15.1, 14.6. 



Specimens examined. — Four. The type and three topotypes (C.N. 

 H.M.). 



THE TAPITI 



SYLVILAGUS BRASILIENSIS (Linnaeus) 



(Synonymies given under subspecies headings) 



Distribution (map, fig. 43). — From Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, and 

 the Argentine, Bolivian and Paraguayan Chaco, north through South 

 and Central America into Veracruz, Mexico; not recorded from the 

 Guianas but undoubtedly occurs there; hmits of distribution in south- 

 eastern Peru and the Bolivian highlands unknown ; absent from Chile. 

 Altitudinal range, sea level to approximately 4,500 meters above. 



Characters. — Smaller than Sylvilagus floridanus; tail rudimentary. 

 Brownish-gray inner surface of ear not sharply defined from brown of 

 outer surface, whitish edging restricted to lower anterior border of 

 pinna; base of ear comparatively well haired, lower anterior portion 

 thickly haired and nearly indistinguishable from crown. Tail minute, 

 uniformly brownish, or slightly paler beneath than above, more or less 

 button-shaped and, in the living animal, hardly distinguishable from 

 rump. Dominantly ocliraceous to Tawny upper sm'facc of hind foot 

 frequently marked with spots and patches of white, rarely entirely 

 white. Orbital region variable, never with complete circumorbital 

 ring. Supraorbital patch usually pale, suborbital region with or 

 without dark band. Nuchal patch Tawny. Rump usually more 

 warmly colored than back. Mammae, six: one pair pectoral, one pair 

 abdominal, posteriormost pah- either abdominal or inguinal. Skull 

 comparatively small, the rostrum narrow^; nasal short, between 70 and 

 92 percent of zygomatic breadth. Supraorbital process less heavily 

 built than m. floridanus , the posterior w^ing more delicate and either 

 entirely free or with only inner posterior edge, rarely entire inner 

 border, fused with frontal. Bulla comparatively small. 



Remarks. — Small size, delicate form, nearly obsolete tail, warmly 

 colored rump and six mammae distinguish S. hrasiliensis from all 

 other Neotropical rabbits with which comparisons need be made. 

 The tapiti differs widely from the much smaller, nearly tailless 

 Romerolagus of Mexico. Comparisons of hrasiliensis with other 

 species have already been made in preceding sections. 



Subspecies. — Previous arrangements of tapitis appear to have been 



