THE RABBIT OR CONY 199 



Besides the factors for the various colours there are also factors for 

 formation of patterns, and these are equivalent to partial inhibition of 

 pigment. 



The above-mentioned facts are probably true, not only for 

 rabbits, but for cavies and mice ; but the subject has been pursued 

 further in the two latter than in the former animals, and for a 

 further account of it reference should be made to the article on the 

 House-Mouse. 



Geographical variation: — There are two sub-species, viz., O. 

 cuniculus cuniculus (Linnaeus), the subject of the present article, and 

 O. c. huxleyi (Haeckel, Hist, de la creation des etres organises dapres les 

 lois naturelles, 1874, 130). The latter was described from Porto Santo, 

 near Madeira, where it was introduced about 1418; it is found also in 

 the Azores and Salvage Islands between the Canaries and Madeira. It 

 was noticed in Crete by Bate, and renamed O. c. cnossius. It is found 

 throughout the Mediterranean region, and is a small grey form with 

 the hind foot (including claws) reaching only 75 to 85 mm. O. c. 

 cuniculus, besides being the Rabbit of the British Islands, is also that 

 of Europe, north of the Mediterranean region. 



Hybridism: — See under genus LEPUS. 



Dimensions : — See table on next page, wherein only specimens con- 

 sidered to be fully adult are included in the averages ; but it is difficult 

 to obtain a number of adults, and it is probable that really old rabbits 

 are comparatively rare, so that an average, to be natural, should include 

 some sub-adults. Although the items are variable, the averages of each 

 lot, except in length of head and body, a measurement difficult to 

 obtain invariably under precisely similar conditions, are very uniform. 

 The length of the hind foot depends on the condition of the claws, and 

 that of the head and body on the treatment which the carcase happens 

 to have received. 



Skull (range of nine specimens in British Museum of Natural 

 History) : — Occipito-nasal length, 78 to 82 ; condylo-basal length, 68-6 

 to 72-8; zygomatic breadth, 37-2 to 41-4; breadth at intero-orbital 

 constriction, 12-4 to 15; breadth at post-orbital constriction, 11 to 14; 

 breadth of brain-case, 27 to 29-8 ; nasals measured by diagonal, 35-4 to 

 38; greatest breadth of both nasals together, 14 to 17-2; length of 

 diastema, 22-4 to 24 ; length of mandible, 59 to 63-4 ; length of 

 maxillary tooth-row, 14-2 to 156; length of mandibular tooth-row, 

 14-2 to 16-2. 



Weight (in lbs. and oz.) : — This depends to a great extent on 

 the nature of the ground, the food and the time of year. On the 

 analogy of the hares, does should be heavier than bucks, but the latter 

 appear to the eye to be more massively built, and Simpson (op. cit.). 

 Cocks, and others find that they are, as a rule, larger and heavier than 



