LEPORID®—LEPUS GRAYSONI. 347 
LEPUS GRAYSONI, nov. sp. 
Grayson’s Hare. 
General color above pale rufous or dull cinnamon-brown, varied with 
blackish-brown; below whitish. Upper surface of the head ferrugineous, 
finely mixed with black, fading anteriorly to paler rufous; sides of muzzle 
yellowish-brown; sides of the head pale fulvous-brown, below and behind 
the eye sparsely varied with black, a narrow pale ring around the eye, not 
more conspicuous than in L. sylvaticus; nape rufous. Ears covered with very 
short hair, looking nearly naked, yellowish-brown mixed with black anteri- 
orly, at the base passing into blackish-brown, varied with yellowish-brown 
toward the tip; anterior margin whitish-edged till near the tip, where it is 
margined with blackish; posterior surface of the ears lighter and nearly naked. 
Dorsal region nearly uniformly pale reddish or cinnamon-brown, varied with 
blackish-brown, becoming paler and with fewer blackish hairs on the sides of 
the body and over the rump. Tail above blackish-brown, shading into the 
color of the rump; white below. Chin and sides of the lower jaw nearly 
white, passing into brown on the throat. Fore veck uniform reddish-brown. 
Middle of the lower surface of the body from between the fore legs to the 
tail whitish. Outer surface of limbs reddish-brown; inner surface whitish; 
upper surface of hind feet varied with pale rufous and whitish. Size and 
proportions same as in average specimens of L. sylvaticus. Feet small; nails 
naked. 
This species is based mainly on a specimen collected at the Tres Marias 
Islands by the late Col. A. J. Grayson. It is of about the size of Lepus 
sylvaticus, but differs in many important features from any of the varieties of 
the L. sylvaticus group. The form of the postorbital processes shows that in 
this respect its affinities are with this group rather than with the Aquatic Hares 
(L.-palustris and L. aquaticus), although its feet are small and as sparsely 
haired as in ZL. palustris. In general color and in some other features, it 
somewhat resembles L. brasiliensis, but is in other respects quite different. 
Tt has a tail as short as L. trowbridgei. 
A second specimen, from Talamanca, Costa Rica, collected by J. Carmiol, 
is also referred to this species. It agrees with the Tres Marias specimen in 
size, proportions, and all essential particulars, but it is somewhat paler-colored. 
The pelage is rather harsher, and is evidently much worn, so that the paler 
color may be in part due to fading, or to seasonal difference. 
