MAMMALS OF MINNESOTA. 241 



VAR. VIRGINIANUS. 



Lepus americanus BACHMAN, Journ. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., vii, 1837; viii, 

 1839. 



DEKAY, WAGNEK, AUD. and BACH., BAIRD, GRAY. 



ALLEN, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., i, 1869. 



HALL, Can. Nat. and Geol., vi, 1861. 

 Lepus virginianus HARLAN, Fauna Am., 1825. 



FISCHER, Synop., 1829. 



DOUGHTY, Doughty's Cab. N. Hist., i, 1830. 



BACHMAN, Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., vii, 1837. 



EMMONS, Quad. Mass., 1840. 



THOMPSON, Nat. Hist. Vermont, 1842. 

 Lepus americanus var. virginianus ALLEN, Mo nog. N. A. Rodentia, 1876. 



VAR. WASHINGTONI. 



Lepus washingtoni BAIRD, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., vii, 1855; Mam. N 



A., 1857. 

 COOPER, SUCKLEY, SUCKLEY and GIBBS, Pacif. E. R. 



Reports, 1860. 



GRAY, Ann. and Mag. N. H., 3d ser. xx, 1867. 



Lepus americanus var. washingtoni ALLEN, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., 

 xvii, 1875; Monog. N. A. Rodentia, 1876. 



VAR. BAIRDI. 



Lepus bairdi HAYDEN, Am. Nat., in, 1869. 



Lepus americanus var. bairdi ALLEN, Bull. Essex. Inst., vi, 1874; Proc. 



Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., xvii, 1875; Monog. N. A. 



Rodentia, 1876. 



Although I have copied the synonomy for the several varie- 

 ties of our common hare as given by Allen it must be admitted 

 that, save as to the last, it requires hair (hare) splitting nicety 

 to make out any distinctions which will not be utterly invalidated 

 by individual variation. In general the southern L. americanus 

 has a less reddish cast of the summer pelage and the part of the 

 hairs which becomes white in winter is restricted. The period 

 during which the winter pelage is worn is shorter, but the varia- 

 tions in size are so insignificant as compared with individual 

 variation as to present no basis for remark. There is, of 

 course, the probability that the ultimate size of the northern 

 specimens will be found greater, but the facts thus far col- 

 lected give but negative results. Variety americanus in its 

 typical form does not enter the United States so far as known. 

 The var. ivashingtoni, though originally supposed to be much 

 smaller appears to be simply a more fulvous form with the 

 pelage soft and full. Though this variety is said not to un- 

 dergo a seasonal change about Puget's Sound, its pelage seems 

 elsewhere to have a deeper outer white zone in winter than the 

 previous varieties. 



