1861.] THE ANATID^ AND LEPUS. 85 



hind toe, more elastic breast-fcathcit!, and the greater quantity * of 

 grey down npon tlie skin, will serve at once to distinguish it. In- 

 ternally the form of the lower part of the air-tube in the male, the 

 wider and shorter sternum, in many instances with a less developed 

 keel, and the form of the pelvis, are for the most part sufficiently 

 characteristic ; but they are none of them, I think, as regards the 

 question at issue, of special importance. 



One of my objects has been to point out some of the errors (as I 

 believe) that generally prevail respecting portions of the anatomy of 

 the oceanic ducks, and to show that several of the distinctions made 

 are not well-founded. In my concluding paper f " On the Presence 

 or Absence of Air in the Bones of Birds," I hope to exhibit other 

 differences, not before recorded, respecting the absence of air in the 

 humeri, and the muscular arrangement of the air-cells in some of 

 the Sea-ducks (so called). 



But lastly, as to the inquiry whether these hybrid ducks between 

 the Summer Duck, the Pochard, and the Ferruginous Duck are likely 

 to breed together as suggested by Mr. Bartlett, I have no hesitation, 

 looking to their anatomy, in which there is a great general resem- 

 blance, to answer the question in the affirmative ; but whether the 

 progeny of these hybrids will also be prolific, is a matter that time 

 only can determine. 



I now come to the more interesting part of my subject, viz. that 

 of ihcLeporines — hybrids, so called, between the hare and the rabbit. 

 It has been stated that JNI. Rouy, of Angouleme, has bred for the 

 market a thousand of these Leporides yearly — that they are fertile 

 both with the hare and the rabbit, and with each other. I have 

 written to M. Rouy, but up to the present time I have received no 

 answer. It is reported that the cross is effected by keeping the 

 animals together when very young. In the Society's Collection there 

 are now several of these Leporines, and two of them have litters of 

 young ; but whether they are of the first cross it is difficult to deter- 

 mine. The adult animals have a hare-like character ; they are large, 

 weighing about 5 lbs., with long ears and long hind legs ; but this 

 description will equally apply to some varieties of the rabbit. I have, 

 however, carefully examhied the fur (microscopically and otherwise); 

 and about the hare-like character of this I think there cannot he a 

 question. The hair is long, and has the same party-coloured ap- 

 pearance (black and fawn) as in the hare — a peculiarity that I have 

 not seen in any variety of the rabbit. The disinclination of the male 

 for copulation is another feature very unlike the character of the 

 rabbit. Of the two females mentioned, one has five j'oung ones, and 

 the other two : of the former litter two are black ; of the latter both 

 are grey : they are born blind, are wild, and, unlike the tame rabbit, 

 shriek when handled. The female makes her nest of down, and covers 

 her young. Mr. Bartlett has kindly given me one of his young Lepo- 



* The Surainer Duck {A. sponsa) lias as complete a covering of grey down as 

 any of the oceanic ducks that I have examined, and in this respect it ditfersfrora 

 ail the British freshwater ducks that have come under my noticci 



t See P. Z. S. 1857, pp. 9, 215. 



