ORYCTOLAGUS 



173 



Rabbits are known from the upper pliocene of central France 

 and Italy by O. lacosti ( Pomel) ; and from pleistocene deposits of 

 Britain and continental Europe. Hinton has recently examined 

 some bones from the pliocene Forest Bed of Norfolk, which 

 are probably to be referred to O. lacosti. His description will 

 appear later. 



This small but well-marked genus was formerly known only 

 from the Iberian Peninsula, the Balearic Islands, and southern 

 France ; thence it has spread naturally, or by introduction, to 

 the greater part of temperate Europe. It has, besides, been 

 artificially introduced in many localities, especially islands, all 

 over the world. The only recent wild species, the well-known 

 O. cuniculus, is easily domesticated, and has given rise to many 



Fig. 32. — Side View of Skull of Oiyctolagus cuniculus (life size). 



distinct and stable artificial forms, all of which show the true 

 generic characters, in some cases even more markedly than the 

 parent stock. 



Oryctolagus has no close relationships with Old-World 

 genera. According to Lyon, it comes nearest in structure to 

 the North American cottontails of the genus Sylvilagus, in 

 which the young are also born blind and naked (Nelson, 

 North Amer. Fauna, No. 29, 1909, 14); some species at least 

 have the mammae as in O. cuniculus (Nelson, in lit.), the flesh 

 is white {fide Nelson, and Preble, in litt.), and the sexes appear 

 to be approximately equal in size (Nelson, in lit.). Sylvilagus, 

 however, differs widely from Oiyctolagus in skull characters, 

 and does not habitually construct its own burrow (Nelson, 

 op. cit., 22) ; and in S. floridanus at least, inguinal glands are 

 present, as in Lepus. 



vol. 11. m 2 



