RODENTIA. 155 
it.(1) Their molars, five every where, are individually formed of 
two vertical laminz soldered together, and in the upper jaw there 
is a sixth, simple and very small. They have five toes before and 
four behind ; an enormous cecum, five or six times the size of the 
stomach, furnished internally with a spiral fillet, which traverses its 
length. The inside of their mouth, and the under part of the feet 
are lined with hairs like the rest of the body. 
Lepus, Cuv. 
Or the true Hares, have long ears; a short tail; the hind feet 
much longer than the fore ones; imperfect clavicles, and the infra- 
orbitary spaces in the skeleton reticulated. ‘The species are so 
numerous and similar, that it is difficult to characterise them. 
L. timidus, L.3; Buff. VII, xxxviii. (The Common Hare.) 
Of a yellowish grey ; the ears one-tenth longer than the head; 
ash coloured behind; black at the tips; tail the length of the 
thigh, white, with a black line above. 
Every one knows this animal, whose dark flesh is excellent 
food, and whose fur is useful. It lives solitarily, never burrows, 
sleeps on the open ground, when hunted describes large. circles, 
and has never yet been domesticated. 
L. variabilis, Pall., Schreb. CCXXXV, B. (The Variable 
Hare.) Somewhatlarger than the preceding, with rather shorter 
ears and tail, the latter white at all seasons; the rest of the fur 
is grey in summer, and white in winter. This animal, which is 
found in the North, and on the high mountains of the south of 
Europe, has the habits of the common Hare, but its flesh is 
insipid.(2) 
LL. cuniculus, L.; Buff. VI, 1. (The Rabbit.) Less than the 
Hare ; the ears somewhat shorter than the head ; tail not so long 
as the thigh; fur of a yellowish-grey; some red on the neck 3 
throat and belly whitish; ears grey, without any black; some 
brown on the tail. his animal, said to be originally from 
Spain, is now found throughout all Europe. It lives in troops, 
in burrows, to which it flies for shelter when pursued. Its flesh, 
a which is white and agreeable to the palate, differs considerably 
from that of the Hare. In a domestic state the Rabbit multi- 
plies prodigiously, and varies as to colour and fur. 
Other countries furnish several species which can only be 
4 
(1) There‘is even’ Pacitta when they are shedding their teeth, during which 
__ they appear to have three incisors, one behind the other, sixin all. “t 
, (2) This species inhabits all the northern and colder part of the American conti- 
‘nent. Am. Ed. ; 
