LEPORID^— LBPD8 CAMPBSTRia. 



297 



LEPUS CAMPESTRIS Bachman. 

 Prairie Hare. 



Lepiu vartabilli Lkwis, Burton's Hed. and Pbys. Jonrn., ii, 1800, 159.— Godman, Am. Nat. Hist., il, 1836, 169. 



£<piia t'ir;iiii<iNua vsr.f HAnLAN, Faoo. Aiuer., ltS5, 310. 



Zqiiu virginianti$ RiciiAni>BON, Faun. Bor.-Am., I, 1H29, 2!24.— PniNCK Maximilian, Reifw in doa innere 

 Nord-Amer., i, 1H39, 508. 



Z^pM campmtrit Baciiman, Jonrn. Acad. Nat. Sci. Pbila., vli, 1837, 349 ; viii, 1R39, 80.— WATKRnousE, Nat. 

 Hist. Mani., ii, 1848, 137.— Oiedkl, SUnRet., 1865, 449.— Baird, Mam. N. Am., 1867, 585, pi. 

 Ivi, fig. 2 (sknll).— Nbwberry, Paoifio H. R. Ex. and Sarv., vi, iv, 1867, 63.- Coofkr, Pucifio 

 R. R. Ex. and 8urr., xii, iii, 1800, 104.— Sucki.ey, Puciflo R. R. Ex. and Rnrv., xii, iii, 1800, 

 131.— Maximiuan, Wiegm. Arch., 1861, Bd. i, 145.— Hayden, Trans. Am. Pbil. Hoc. Pbila., xii, 

 1802, 148.— Oray, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hiat., 3d series, xx, 1867, 284.— Allen, Bull. Essex Insti- 

 tute, vi, 1874, 52, 58, 61, 66. 



Leptu TbWHtendi Baobman, Jonrn. Acad. Nat. Sol. Pbila., viii, 1839, 90, pi. ii ; Towoaond's Narrative, 

 1839, 335.— AUD. & Bach., Quad. N. Am., i, 1849, 25, pi. iii.-CooPER, Am. Nat., ii, 1668,516. 



In winter, white, more or less tinged with yellowish-brown on the middle 

 of the back ; top of the head and anterior surface of the ears pale yellowish- 

 brown, varying to whitish; ears tipped with black. Under fur white at the 

 base, passing through pale yellowish-brown to deep reddish-brown. The 

 hairs of the back white at the tip, with a subterminal band of brown, varying 

 in different specimens from yellowish-brown to dark reddish-fuscous. 



In summer, entire upper parts, breast, anterior surface of the ears, and 

 the legs pale yellowish-gray, this color gradually passing into white on the 

 sides. Fur of the under parts, excepting the breast, pure white to the roots. 

 Nape and lower two-thirds of the ears white ; upper third of the ears brown- 

 ish-black. Fringes of the ears creamy-brown, bordered with white. Sides 

 and ends of the muzzle yellowish-brown. Tail white on both surfaces, with 

 occasionally a faint, median, ashy line above. Occasionally, a small oval spot 

 of white on the middle of the forehead. The under fur of the upper surface 

 in summer varies in different specimens from whitish-gray to grayish-plumbe- 

 ous at base, then pale fulvous, passing into black. The hairs are generally 

 black at the extreme tip, with a broad subterminal bar of pale yellowish-gray ; 

 below, the black bar passes gradually into whitish at the base. A few hairs 

 entirely black are generally intermixed. The tail is very long, equaling the 

 length of the head. Ears very long, about one-fourth longer than the head. 

 Hind feet rather longer than the ears. Length of the body, 19 tu 23 inches ; 

 of the tarsus, 5.50 to 6 inches; of the ear, 4.'75 to nearly 6 inches. 



Of some fifteen specimens before me in winter pelage, not more than one 

 in five has the whole dorsal surface pure white. The reddish-brown subter- 

 minal zone shows through the white tips of the hairs more or less in nearly all 



