RODENT! A LEPORIDAE LEPUS CAMPESTRIS. 



585 



List of specimens. 



1 Length before skinning, 17 inches ; radius and tibia each 4 inches ; iris brown. 

 * Width of ear 1.70. 



LEPUS CAMPESTRIS, Bach. 



Prairie Hare. 



Ltpus canpe&tris, BACH , J. A. N. Sc. Phila. VII, 11, 1837, 349. IB. VIII, i, 1839, 80. 



WATERHOUSE, N. H. Mamm. II, 1848, 127. 



GIEBEL, Saugt. 1855, 449. 

 Jtpus townsendii, BACHMAN, J. A. N. Sc. Phila. VIII, i, 90 ; pi. ii. 



TOWNSEND'S Narr., 1839, 325. 



AUD. & BACH. N. Am. Quad. I, 1849, 25. ; pi. iii. 

 Lepus virginianus, RICH. F. B. Am. I, 1829, 224. 



PR. MAX. Reise, I, 1839, 508. 

 Lepus virginianus, var HARLAN, F. Amer. 1825, 310. 



Sp. CH. Larger than Lepus americanus Ears about one-fifth longer than the head. Fur soft and full, especially in 

 winter. Tail as long as the head. Hind feet considerably longer than the head ; somewhat longer than the ears. 



In summer, back, rump, sides of limbs, external and internal bands of the ear, and the throat, yellowish gray, varied more 

 or less with brown. Beneath white. Tail entirely white, above and below ; in some specimens only with a faint wash of ash 

 above. Nape and interior surface of ears white, except as stated ; the latter tipped with black. 



In winter, pure white all over, with a yellowish tinge. Ears white, tipped with biewn ; the external and internal bands rusty 

 gray. Fur on the ears and elsewhere much longer and fuller than in summer. Fur on the upper part and sides pure wiiite on 

 the basal half. 



This species is among the largest of the North American hares, and is characterized essentially 

 among those with ears considerably longer than the head, by having no black or even dusky 

 on the upper part of the tail and the rump. As far as known, too, it is the only one of the 

 very long eared hares in which the fur becomes white in winter. The ears are not quite so 

 long, however, as in the L. californicus and callotis. The summer fur is full and soft ; the 

 winter still more so, being quite valuable as an article of commerce. The tail is very long. 

 The legs are long and stout, well furred beneath. The ears are about one-fifth longer than, 

 the head. 



Summer pelage. The general color of the upper parts of the body and the buttocks is a pale 



yellowish gray, mixed with a dark brown, the former predominating. The hairs are light ash 



at the base, turning gradually into pale reddish or rusty gray, and finally, tipped for a slight 



extent with darker brown or black. There are numerous longer hairs interspersed, which are 



74 L 



