1903.] Allen, Mammals from New Mexico and Durango. 607 



23. Lepus (Microtolagus) gaillardi battyi, subsp. nov. 



Type, No. 21257, $ ad., Rancho Santuario, northwestern Durango, 

 Mexico, Feb. 17, 1903; J. H. Batty. 



Similar to L. gaillardi Mearns, but much smaller, the general colora- 

 tion yellower and less rufescent, especially the underfur. Prepectoral 

 collar much paler, nearly white or pale brownish white instead of buff; 

 front of fore feet grayish white instead of buffy white, and upper sur- 

 face of hind feet clearer or purer white. Extreme terminal portion 

 (about 25 mm.) of anterior border of ear blackish in both forms. 



Measurements. Type, total length, 511 ; head and body, 451 ; tail 

 vertebrae, 60; hind foot (without claws), 122; ear, from notch, 127, 

 from crown, 140. Three adult males, same place and date, measure 

 as follows: Total length, 501.5 (465-530); head and body, 451 (432- 

 470); tail vertebrae, 61 (60-64); hind foot, 121 (119-124); ear from 

 notch, 123 (115-133). The corresponding measurements of 3 speci- 

 mens (i male, 2 females) of L. gaillardi, as given in the original de- 

 scription are: Total length, i male, 530, 2 females (average), 567; 

 tail vertebrae, 77, 86; hind foot (to end of claws), 131, 135; ear, from 

 notch, 123, 127, from crown, 146, 148. 



Skull. Type, total length, 92; basal length, 82; zygomatic 

 breadth, 44; greatest breadth across supraorbital processes, 31; post- 

 orbital constriction, 1 1 ; length of nasals, 40 ; anterior width of nasals, 

 ii ; posterior width of nasals, 20; palatal length (including point on 

 anterior border of palatal floor), 9; length of premolar-molar series 

 (at alveolar border) ,17. Another skull measures practically the same 

 in all dimensions, while a third (evidently younger) is 4 mm. shorter 

 in total length, and proportionally smaller in all other dimensions 

 except length of toothrow. 



Three adult males, collected at Rancho Santuario, north- 

 western Durango, Feb. 17, 1903, have been compared with two 

 of the original topotypes of Lepus gaillardi, collected on the 

 boundary line of New Mexico and Chihuahua, and while 

 essentially similar in general features, the Durango specimens 

 are readily distinguishable by the coloration of the dorsal area, 

 especially as respects the underfur, and also of the prepectoral 

 band, and the anterior surface of the fore limbs and tarsi, 

 these parts, as indicated above, being distinctly paler; the 

 general size is also much less, as shown in the foregoing 

 measurements. 



This species is evidently rare in northern Durango, and was 

 met with over a very limited area. 



