■^ii! 



I ") 



368 



MONOGRAPHS OP NORTH AMERICAN RODENTIA. 



World — has to such an extent reverted to a feral condilion in d few localities 

 as to deserve a passing notice in the present connection. Mr. B. R. Gilpin 

 states* that the Rabbit exists in a wild state on "Sable Island, a desert island 

 about ninety miles southeast of Nova Scotia." Here he says they have, in 

 the space of fifty years, assumed "one common silver-gray tint, with white 

 collars." 



Count L. F. de Pourtales informs me that some years since he was told 

 by Colonel Patterson, an old resident of Florida, of the existence of some 

 Rabbits which lived in burrows on Rabbit Key near Key West, which in all 

 probability were the L. cuniculus. Mr. P. H. Gosse states, on the authority 

 of Mr. Richard Hill, that the Common Rabbit had reverted to a feral con- 

 dition in certain parts of the island of Jamaica.t Darwin says later, also 

 on the authority of Mr. Hill, that it never flourished there, owing to the un- 

 favorable character of the climate, and that, owing to a great fire which occur- 

 red in the woods, they became exlinctf 



Darwin also states that the Rabbit, long since introduced into the Falk- 

 land Islands, has there also reverted to a feral condition. He adds, however, 

 that they have never spread there extensively, although abundant over largo 

 parts of the East Falkland Island. Like the Horses, they are confined 

 within certain limits, and had not, at the time of his visit, crossed the 

 central chain of hills, nor would they have extended even so fur as its base, 

 had not, according to the Gauchos, small colonies been carried there. Most 

 of them, he says, are of the common gray color, but a few are "hare-colored", 

 and many are black, often with symmetrical white marks on their faces. 

 As already noted, M. R. P. Lesson described tlie black variety as a distinct 

 species, under the name Lcpus magellanicus. M. Lesson was nnstaken, how- 

 ever, in supposing it to also occur on the adjoining mainland. Darwin also 

 states that within recent times the sealers have stocked some of the small 

 outlying islets of the Falkland group witii Rabbits.§ 



In a state of domestication, the Rabbit is found throughout a considerable 

 part of both Americas, multiplying freely under very diverse climatic con- 

 ditions, existing as fur north as Nova Scotia and the Cuiiadas and also within 

 the tropics. 



* TraoB. Novn Scotia Inatituto Nnt. Sci., vol. Hi, p. 1!M, (1S78.) 



i Oosae's Sojourn in Janmica, 1841, p. 441. 



( AnimalB and Plauts under DouieHtication, vol, i, p, 141. 



i Ktwpecting tliu occurrence of the Kabbit on the Falkland Islands, tee Parwiu'H Journal of R»> 

 warcbcH, p. lUll; Zoology uf tbo Voyagn of llie Ik<a|{le, Mauiuialiu, <i. Vi; AniniaU and PlautH under 

 UonieHticalion, vol. i, p, 141. 



