76 



Winter pelage. White, more or less mixed with gray underneath, 

 and with rusty markings, especially on the legs and ears. The species 

 probably never becomes entirely pure white, like L. glacialis. 



MEASUREMENTS. 



The written history of this species, though somewhat 

 involved, may be fully elucidated. As in the cases of 

 so many of our western animals, we owe our first recog- 

 nizable account of this species to Lewis and Clark, 

 whose description, though not entirely correct, is per- 

 fectly recoguizable as belonging here. In 1825, Dr. 

 Harlan copied their accounts in substance, querying the 

 animal as a variety of his L. virginianus (the L. ameri- 

 canus of authors). In 1829, Sir John Richardson gave 

 an accurate description, as far as his slight material went, 

 supplemented with the account of Lewis and Clark, and 

 from his whole article it is evident he had this species 

 in view, although he miscalled it L. virginianus, sup- 

 posing it to be the same as Harlau's animal, which it is 

 not. The Prince Maximilian repeated Richardson's mis- 

 take of nomenclature ; his account is otherwise accurate 

 and unmistakable. In 1837, Dr. Bachmau described it 



1 A fresh male specimen from near Milk River, July 5,1874. Testes elongate, 

 loosely pendulous, inguinal. Ear above occiput, 5.50. Eye grayish yellow. Hu- 

 merus, 4.00. Femur, 5.00. 



2 A fresh female specimen from near Milk River, July 10, 1874. Ear above head, 

 6.00; width, pressed flat, 3.00. 



3 A fresh female specimen from Three Buttes, Montana, Aug., 9, 1874. Ear 

 above head, 5.00; width, 2.25. 



