I46 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 69 



Subgenus TAPETI Gray 



SYLVILAGUS GABBI GABBI (Allen) 



Costa Rica Forest Rabbit 



Lepus brasiliensis var gabbi Allen, Monogr. N. Amer. Rodentia, p. 349, 

 August, 1877. Type from Talamanca, Costa Rica. (Probably near 

 Sipurio, in the valley of the Rio Sicsola.) 



Forest rabbits doubtless inhabit nearly the whole of Panama, and 

 range from sea level well up on the slopes of the higher mountains. 

 The Costa Rican form reaches from the western boundary as far 

 east, at least, as the Canal Zone. In extreme eastern Panama it is 

 replaced by a closely allied subspecies, Sylvilagus g. messorius, which 

 is less rusty reddish in general color, and darker on the back. 



While these rabbits may be met with in the depths of the forest, 

 they favor the dense undergrowth along the edges of the forest, or 

 old clearings. They are shy and apparently feed mainly at night, 

 remaining during the day well concealed on forms under logs or 

 other cover. Even when their hiding places have been discovered 

 they may remain motionless, making no effort to escape until finally 

 dislodged by the very close approach of an intruder when they 

 scurry to the nearest shelter, perhaps only a few feet away. The 

 very short tail is dark colored like the body and one misses the flash 

 of contrasting white seen when a northern rabbit leaves cover. 



Specimens from the localities on both the Atlantic and Pacific 

 sides of the Canal Zone agree with the type of S. g. gabbi and are 

 regarded as typical. Bangs (1902, p. 48) recorded specimens col- 

 lected by W. W. Brown, Jr., as follows : " Nine specimens, Divala, 

 November and December ; Boquete, 3,400 to 4,500 feet, March and 

 April, and Bugaba, July. The seasonal differences in color are well 

 shown by this series. July specimens are much redder, with but few 

 black-tipped hairs in the back, than autumnal examples." Six indi- 

 viduals taken by J. H. Batty have been recorded by Thomas (1903a, 

 p. 42) from Gobernador Island, and rabbits probably occur on other 

 islands near the coast of western Panama. Examples from Boqueron, 

 also obtained by J. H. Batty, were listed by Allen (1904, p. 70). 



Specimens examined : Boqueron, 5 * ; Boquete, 2 2 ; Bugaba, 2 * ; 

 Divala, 2 2 ; Corozal, 1 ; Gatun, 7 ; Lion Hill, 2. a 



1 Collection Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 



2 Collection Mus. Comp. Zool. 



