342 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL KLST. SOCLETY, Vol. XXVII. 



33. AcANTHiON, Species. 



Porcupine. Arabic Necce or Da'alej. 



1 (5 1 2 . Bait-al, Khalifa, Samarra, Pitman, 1-2-18. 



Pitman's two specimens are browner than either Hystrix crisiaia from 

 Europe or AcantJiion leucura, the common Indian porcupine. One of the 

 Samarra skins had both hind feet white. 



The porcupine is sparingly distributed among the rocky undulations and 

 hills, but there is no record of its appearance on the plains. I have seen 

 porcupine quills in the caves of the hills between Samarra and Tekrit on 

 the right bank of the Tigris. On the mounds of Susa near the Kerkha river 

 there was a well used earth of this animal with beaten tracks leading to 

 it. 



Blanford originally placed the Persian porcupine with H. cristata, but 

 subsequently identified it with H. leucura. 



The porcupines formerly called Hystrix are now divided into two genera. 

 Acanihion which includes those from India, and Hystrix, comprising the 

 African, as well as the porcupine found locally in the Mediterranean region 

 of Europe. 



Muller has lately published a paper S. B. Ges. Nat. Fr., Berlin, 1911, p. 

 110, describing six new sub-species of the Asiatic porcupines. It is not at 

 present known how many of these will prove valid. As his paper covers the 

 present area I have perforce to leave the species open. 



34. Lepus coNJfORi, Robinson. 



1918. Lepus dayanus connori, Robinson, Rec. Ind. Mus. XV, pt. 11, No. 6. 

 Connor's Hare. Arabic "arneb". 



The Iraq hare is inseparable from specimens obtained by Woosnam on 

 the Karun river at Bundi Kir. 



Robinson in 1918, described a hare obtained between Ahwaz and Ma- 

 hommerah by Connor. To this it would seem the present species should be 

 referred. 



There are two distinct phases of colour in the present series ranging 

 from a ground colour of grey to that of rufus. Even the grey individuals 

 show a tinge of rufus on the flanks, throat and nape of the neck. 



I have not been able to discover any constant difference in the skulls, 

 nor do the dates give an explanation that the two phases are due to season- 

 al change of coat. It must therefore be assumed that these are merely 

 colour variations. 



Ludlow's specimen from Hit has features distinct from the rest. It is 

 small with a golden buff ground colour. The tips of the hairs are silvery 

 buff*. Black tibs and centres to the hairs do not enter into the colour 

 composition of the back as it does in all the rest. 



