Feb., 1912. Mammals of Illinois and Wisconsin — Cory. 267 



Description — General color above pale tawny brown, the hairs tipped 

 with black; sides of body paler; nape distinctly tinged with rufous 

 brown or rusty brown, quite different from the color of the back; 

 rump gray mixed with dusky, caused by the grayish hairs being tip- 

 ped with black; upper surface of tail grayish brown, under surface 

 white; belly white; under side of neck brownish buff; upper sur- 

 face of legs pale rusty brown. Does not turn white in winter. 



Remarks — Nelson states (/. c, p. 174) that S. f. alacer occurs in ''ex- 

 treme southern Illinois," but does not include Illinois specimens 

 in his list of material examined. All the specimens in the Field 

 Museum collection from the most southern counties should un- 

 doubtedly be referred to mearnsii. 



Measurements — Total length, about 17.75 in. (45 ^ inm.) ; tail vertebrae, 

 2.30 in. (60 mm.); hind foot, 4 in. (loi mm.). 

 Field measurements of 6 specimens taken in southern Illinois by 



E. Heller: 



No. Place. Date. 

 15403, 9 , Olive Branch, 111 . . .Nov. 26, 1906 



15282, cT, Golconda, 111 Apr. 12,1907 



15795. cf , Ozark, 111 Apr. 21, 1907 



15788, cf , Golconda, 111 Apr. 11, 1907 



15793) 9 » Reevesville, 111 Apr. 18, 1907 



15790, cf , Reevesville, 111 Apr. 17, 1907 



Average measurements of 10 specimens from different localities in 

 Wisconsin : 



Total length, 455 mm.; tail vertebrae, 61 mm.; hind foot, 103 mm. 



Mearns's Cotton-tail Rabbit, Cotton-tail or Gray Rabbit as it is 

 variously called, is our most common species. In fact it is the only 

 representative of the family which occurs in northern Illinois and 

 southern Wisconsin. It is found throughout Illinois and Wisconsin, 

 possibly excepting the extreme northeastern portion of the latter state, 

 but it is not unlikely that its range will be found to include all of the 

 northern counties. Specimens have been examined from a large 

 number of localities throughout both states, ranging from Alexander 

 and Johnson counties in extreme southern Illinois to Douglas and 

 Oconto counties in northern Wisconsin. Although still abundant at 

 the present time in many localities in the vicinity of Chicago, its 

 numbers were evidently much greater thirty years ago. Bray ton 

 (1882) states: ''They were worth in the Chicago market from five to 

 fifteen cents apiece, according to the abundance or the state of the 

 weather. I have seen them, when frozen in large boxes, sold by the 

 cubic foot, and shipped from Chicago to New York City."* 



* Geol. Surv. Ohio, IV, Pt. i, 1882, p. 188. 



