MAMMALS OF MINNESOTA. 233 



ANATOMY OF SOFT PARTS. 



The stomach is roundish, curved, partially constricted into 

 two compartments of which the pyloric is most muscular. The 

 coecum of the intestine is large. 



There are ten teats in Lepus. 



The external ear varies in size and form with the species, 

 but the following description of that of L. campestris will serve 

 to illustrate its peculiarities: 



It is in this species of immense size, being 7-J inches long 

 from the base to tip. The essential parts to be distinguished 

 are the cartilage which gives it its form, the muscles and the 

 dermal covering. The ears are densely furred without 

 and half way down within and are thus well protected from 

 the severity of the rigorous climate in winter. The cartilage 

 itself is papery toward the tip but below becomes somewhat 

 thicker. The general form may be described as spoon- shaped, 

 the lower -J being the hollow handle, this part is tubular and 

 forms the opening into the internal ear. Aside from the nearly 

 straight canal formed by the upper part of the tube are two 

 semi-cylindrical cavities, one on either side. The anterior of 

 these is the pars anteriorhelicis which consists of two parts, 

 the anterior being a blind sac f in. deep the fossa conchas 

 the posterior a groove separated from the meatus by a small 

 spina helicis anterior. A much larger spina helicis posterior 

 separates the other part of the helix which occupies the opposite 

 side of the ear; this groove opens into the external meatus 

 below. At the bottom of the slit which forms the opening 

 of the external ear is a lobate slit called the incisura intertra- 

 gica which separates two concave lips which represent the 

 tragus and antitragus. The upper part of the ear or scapha is 

 less concave and is well furred. The scutulum is the large 

 cartilage at the base which slides over the top of the skull and 

 furnishes insertion and origin for many muscles which move 

 the ear; it is inch long. 



Lepus campestris BACHMAN. 



PRAIRIE HARE. 



Fig. 17. 

 BIBLIOGRAPHY. 



Lepus variabilis LEWIS, Barton's Med. and Phys. Journ., ii, 1806, 159. 



GODMAN, Am. Nat. Hist., ii, 1826, 69. 

 Lepus virginianus, var.t HARLAN, Fauna Amer., 1825, 310. 

 Lepus virginianus RICHARDSON, Faun. Bor. Am., i, 1829, 224. 



MAXIMILIAN, Riese, i, 1839, 508. 

 1 o 



