126 On the Hares of Crete and of Cyprus. 



XVI. — The Hares of Crete and of Cyprus. 

 By G. E. H. Barrett-Hamilton. 



Paymaster H. O, Joxes, R.N., to whom the British Museum 

 is indebted for specimens both of the beech-marten and the 

 badger of Crete, has now sent me four examples of the hare 

 of that ishmd. These cannot be assigned to any known form 

 of hare inhabiting the shores of the Mediterranean or its 

 islands. I therefore propose for them the name of 



Lejnis creticusj sp. n. 



Size about equal to that of L. europceus occidentalism de Win- 

 ton. Dorsal underfur white. Long hairs of upper surface 

 annulated with black and very light buff rings, the tips 

 black. Towards the rump the buff becomes white, the whole 

 coat silky, and the black rings inconspicuous, so that the 

 rump is distinctly marked off by its colour from the remainder 

 of the upper surface. Very little trace of rufous intervenes 

 on the flanks between the colours of the upper and under 

 surfaces. The nuchal patch, throat, breast, thighs, and 

 anterior sui faces of the fore legs are buff, this colour 

 extending in some specimens to the belly in the neighbour- 

 hood of the thighs. The remainder of the under surface and 

 of the legs, together with the chin, are white. The upper 

 surface of the head resembles the back, but is slightly darker, 

 and here the underfur is buff. The cheeks and sides of the 

 head are grizzled and nearly white. The ears are tipped with 

 black and are nearly white on the posterior external surface, 

 as well as in their interior and along the margins ; the ante- 

 rior external surface is coloured like the back. 



The exact proportions of the animal are uncertain, since no 

 measurements accompanied the specimens. 



Four examples were forwarded, of which the particulars 

 are as follows. The dimensions are in millimetres, and were 

 taken from the dried specimens : — 



Basal length 

 Brit. Mus. no. Hind foot. Ear. of skull. 



99. 2. 14. 1 125 105 73 ( ^ 



99. 2. 14. 2 124 101 76 ) 



2. 11. 9. 1, 27tli Feb., 1901 1 



(tvpe of species) > . . . . 78 



2.11.9.2, ditto I .. .. 81 



The description of Lepus creticus is not intended to be com- 

 plete, but simply to be sufficient for its distinction from other 

 * These two skins were purchased in open market. It i> uncertain to 

 which skin either skull belongs. 



