106 SOUTH AFRICAN MAMMALS 



Family LEPOEID.E. 

 Genus LEPUS. 



Ears and hind legs, long. Fore legs medium. Tail 

 short and bushy. Five toes to the fore and four to the 

 hind legs. Dentition : incisors at birth 3-1, afterwards 

 2-1 ; canines 0-0; premolars 3-2 ; molars 3-3 = 28. 



The Thick-tailed Hares have been separated into a new 

 genus, Pronolagus, by Thomas and Schwann (Trouessart 

 in his " Catalogus Mammalium " includes them under 

 the genus " Oryctolagus "), chiefly upon anatomical 

 characters, which need not further concern the readers of 

 this book, except that the ears are shorter and the body 

 more compact and rabbit-like. 



Pronolagus crassicaudatus. Cape Rabbit. Kaapse Koniju 

 or Hooi-liaas. 



Fur thicker and softer than in the succeeding species, 

 speckly yellowish brown and black, giving a brownish hue 

 to the upper parts, and reddish white below. Chin white ; 

 a black stripe on the cheek on either side of the face. 

 Ears of moderate size and rounded at the edges. At the 

 back of the head and neck a reddish patch. The legs are 

 red-brown and the tail, which is short and bushy, is of the 

 same colour, with no trace of black or white, so character- 

 istic of the other species of South African Hares. Length 

 of head and body 20 inches, tail 3i inches 



This Rabbit is only found in rocky hills or kranzes, 

 and is fairly well distributed over the sub-continent. It 

 lives in pairs or colonies amongst the rocks. I found it 

 fairly common in the hills around " Orange Grove " to 

 the north of Johannesburg. The young one or two 

 are brought forth in a well-developed state, well covered 

 with fur, differing in this respect from tame Eabbits. I 



