Hares 



of the upper-parts varies from light greyish to light 

 reddish brown mingled with black, the rump of some 

 examples exhibiting an ashy tinge, and the under-parts, 

 with the exception of the light brown chest, being 

 white. Externally the ears are brown at the sides and 

 buff behind, but towards the tips they become gradually 

 black ; their entire margins being frequently buff. 

 Nineteen inches is the usual length of the head and 

 body, against 21 inches in the Sind hare. 



The range of this hare includes a large portion of 

 the Upper Indus valley, notably in Baltistan, or Little 

 Tibet, and extends towards the west over the greater 

 part of Afghanistan and Baluchistan, the species being 

 met with in the neighbourhood of Quetta and in the 

 Khirtar range of Sind. Although found at consider- 

 ably higher levels in Baltistan, in Baluchistan (where it 

 was first described under the name of L. craspedot'is by 

 Dr. Blanford), it descends as low as about 500 feet 

 above the sea. It is stated to have been obtained from 

 the Nubra valley, in Ladak. 



The two common Tibetan hares {Lepus oiostolus and 

 hypsibius) are nearly allied to the blue or mountain 

 hare {L. timidus^) of Europe, of which they may be 

 local races, and differ from all those noticed above in 

 that the upper surface of the tail is almost or com- 

 pletely white. In accordance with the nature of the 

 climate of the elevated region in which they dwell, the 

 fur is soft, thick, and woolly, and in the species first 

 named, at any rate, the ears are densely furred on their 

 external surface. This species (Z.. oiostolus)^ often 

 called the woolly hare, although the smaller of the two, 

 has relatively longer ears, which considerably exceed 

 the head in length. The general colour of the upper- 

 parts is yellowish brown mixed with dark brown, the 

 rump being ashy grey, the tail nearly white, the fore- 

 part of the neck and chest pale fawn, and the rest of 



' This name is often applied to the English hare, of which the proper 

 title is L. eiiroptieus. 



401 2 D 



