78 On a new Hare from Cape Colony. 



XI. — On a remarhahJe neio Hare from Cape Colony. 

 Bj Oldfield Thomas. 



In a further consignment of mammals from Deelfontein, 

 Cape Colony, collected by Mr. C. H. B. Grant^ and presented 

 to the National Museum by Col. A. T. Sloggett, occur two 

 specimens of a hare of an entirely different type to anything 

 hitherto known, either from South Africa or elsewhere. At 

 first sight appearing allied to the Cape Red-tailed Rabbit 

 {Oryctolagus crassicaudatus) , it is really a true Lepus, as is 

 shown by the structure of its skull and molars. 

 It may be called 



Lepus monticuJaris'^ , sp. n. 



Size about as in 0. crassicaudatus. Fur of medium length, 

 soft and fine, but not woolly. General colour above, of head 

 and back, clear finely grizzled " drab-grey " without rufous 

 suflfusion. Individually the long hairs are black with a sub- 

 terminal ring of pale drabby white, while the underfur is 

 pale slaty grey at base and dull buffy terminally. Sides 

 dark drab, taking on a tinge of rufous below. Head like 

 back, a prominent whitish ring round each eye. Ears of 

 medium length, their backs greyish brown with a very fine 

 narrow edging of black terminally ; inner surface more 

 yellowish. Nape-patch deep rich rufous, strongly contrasted 

 with the general colour. Under surface very strikingly 

 coloured — the chin yellowish white with the bases of the 

 hairs slaty, sharplj^ separated from the grey of the cheeks by 

 an indistinct blackish line ; throat grizzled drab ; sternal 

 region and inner side of forearms bright pinkish buff; lower 

 belly whitish ; anal region and inner side of legs darker 

 pinkish buff: there are, therefore, in succession five different 

 colours from mouth to anus. Front and outer surfaces of 

 arms and legs drabby brown with a slight vinaceous tone ; 

 long hairs of palms yellowish, soles smoky grey, the hairs 

 on the digits dull yellow. Tail, as in 0. crassicaudatus, 

 thick, round, uniform in colour above and below, therefore 

 strikingly different from the black and white tails of 

 L. capensis and saxatilis ; its colour pale vinaceous brown 

 with the extreme tip black. 



Skull in general form most like that of L. capensis; rather 

 smaller, with smaller nasals and rather greater intertemporal 



* ''Kopje,'' diminutive of Kop, a head, bhiff, or mountain : therefore = 

 " Monticulus," a little mountain. 



