LEPORIDiE— LEPUS AMERICANUS. 



305 



strong brownish-red iipically. Hairs white for about liie terminal third, then 

 brownisli-red, with the basal third i)lunibeous. In specimens from rather 

 southern localities, the brown ollen shows through the white outer surface, 

 particularly on the sides of the body. 



In summer, above and outer surface of the limbs pale yellowish-brown, 

 varied with black, resulting in a general tint of dark utnber-brown. Tail 

 sooty above, grayish-white below. Lower surface of the body, from the 

 breast posteriorly, white; breast, and neck in front, yellowish-brown ; chin 

 and throat white. Anterior surface of ears yellowish-brown, mixed with 

 black ; apical fourth of the anterior border black ; posterior border white or 

 yellowish-white. Under-fur of the dorsal region plumbeous for the basal 

 half, shading gradually into pale yellowish-brown. Hairs generally broadly 

 tipped with l)lack, the black tip succeeded by a broad l)ar of pale brown ; 

 below this to the roots black, shading more or less into plumbeous. 



Length of body, 15 to 20 inches; length of ear about 3 inches; of 

 tarsus about 6.25. Ear about three-fourths the length uf the head; head 

 about four-fifths the length of the tarsus. Average weight about 5J pounds. 



In winter specimens, the whiteness of tfie surface invades the pelage 

 much more deeply than in var. virginianus, wholly concealing the subjacent 

 brownish zone, the ears and the upper surface of the head being also pure 

 white. The pelage is also much thicker and longer, and the ears are far more 

 heavily clothed. The brown zone of the under-fur varies in different speci- 

 mens from light fulvous-brown to deep reddish-brown. 



Summer specimens vary chiefly in respect to the intensity of the yellow- 

 ish-brown tint intermi.xed witii the black, which ranges from yellowish-gray to 

 pale rufous. The relative length of the black tips to the hairs of the dorsal 

 surface also varies the general tint, which is often of a very dark umber- 

 brown, quite different from the bright-cinnamon tint of summer specimens 

 of var. virginianus. 



Among the specimens of var. americanus is a single example of melanism, 

 a mutilated skin (No. 6268) labeled as follows: "Lepus americanus, Rainy 

 Lake, H. B. T." It is apparently a winter skin, the pelage being very long 

 and full. The color is dull plumbeous-black throughout, there being a slight 

 grayish cast to the surface of the pelage, particularly on the head, breast, and 

 back. Although instances of melanism appear to be comparatively frequent 

 in Lepus europeeus, they are very rare among the American Lejwridee. 

 20 M 



\m 



