LEl'OltlD^— LEPUS GKAYSONI. 



347 



LEPU8 GRAYSONI, nov. sp. • 



Grayion's Hare. 



General color above pole rufoim or dull cinnamon-brown, varied with 

 )>lackigh-brown; below whitish. Upper surface of the head fcrruglncous, 

 finely mixed with black, fading anteriorly to paler rufous; sides of muzzle 

 yellowish-brown; sides of the head pale fulvous-brown, below and beiiind 

 the eye sparsely varied with black, a narrow pale ring around the eye, not 

 more conspicuous than in L. sylvaticus ; nape rufous. Ears covered wit}i very 

 short hair, looking nearly naked, yellowish-brown mixed with black anteri- 

 orly, at the base passing into blackish-brown, varied with yellowish-brown 

 toward the tip; anterior margin whitish-edged till near the tip, where it is 

 margined with blackish; posterior surface of the ears lighter and nearly naked. 

 Dorsal region nearly uniformly pale reddish or cinnamon-brown, varied with 

 blackish-brown, becoming paler and with fewer blackish hairs on the sides of 

 the body and over the rump. Tail above blackish-brown, shading into the 

 color of the rump; while below. Chin and sides of the lower jaw nearly 

 white, passing into brown on the throat, f^ore ueck uniform reddish-brown. 

 Middle of the lower surface of the body from between the fore legs to the 

 tail whitish. Outer surface of limbs reddish-brown; inner surihce whitish; 

 upper surface of hind feet varied with pale rufous and whitish. Size and 

 proportions same as in average specimens of Z. sylvaticus. Feet small; nails 

 naked. 



This species is based mainly on a specimen collected at the Tres Marias 

 Islands by the late Col. A. J. Grayson. It is of about the size of Lepus 

 sylvaticus, but differs in many important features from any of the varieties of 

 the L. sylvaticus group. The form of the postorbital processes shows that in 

 this respect its affinities are with this group rather than with the Aquatic Hares 

 (Z. palustris and L. aquaticus), although its feet are small and as sparsely 

 haired as in L. palustris. In general color and in some other features, it 

 somewhat resembles L. brasiliensis, but is in other respects quite different. 

 It has a tail as short as L. trowbridgei. 



A second specimen, from Talamanca, Costa Rica, collected by J. Carmiol, 

 is also referred to this species. It agrees with the Trefi Marias specimen in 

 size, proportions, and ail essential particulars, but it is somewhat paler-colored. 

 The pelage is rather harsher, and is evidently much vfotn, so that the paler 

 color may be in part due to fading, or to seasonal difference. 



