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XXIII. 



ON THE FOSSIL HARE OF THE OSSIFEROUS FISSURES OF 

 IGHTHAM, KENT, AND ON THE RECENT HARES OF THE 

 LEPU8 VARIABILIS GHOVF. 



By martin a. 0. HINTON. 



[communicated by R. F. SCHARFF, PH.D., B.SC] 



(Plate XV.) 

 [Read June 22. Ordered for Publication July 13. Published Septembek 8, 1909.] 



In 1894 Mr. E. T. Newton published an account of the numerous bones of 

 the Hare which had been obtained by Mr. W. J. Lewis Abbott from the 

 Pleistocene deposit filling the fissures in the Kentisli Rag at Ightham, Kent ; 

 and he referred these remains to Lejncs europceus, Pallas.' In a later paper 

 Newton, with the advantage of further material illustrating the dentition, 

 came to a different conclusion, and referred many of the fossil bones from 

 Ightham, notwithstanding their robust proportions, to L. variabilis, Pallas.- 



After the publication of Newton's second paper*, the work of collecting 

 from the Ightham fissures was continued by Mr. Lewis Abbott, and by 

 Messrs. Corner and Kennard. The former geologist obtained, besides a 

 large number of additional Hare bones and skull fragments, a very fine 

 skull with the lower jaw complete ; whilst his successors were so fortunate 

 as to receive a nearly perfect skull, both mandibular rami, and a complete 

 set of the more important limb-bones, together with some ribs and vertebrie, 

 all belonging to one individual. This skeleton was found in the " Wolf " 

 fissure at Ightham at a depth of nearly eighty feet from the surface. 

 My best thanks are due to the three gentlemen above-named for entrusting 

 me with this magnificent material, and for permitting me to describe it 

 here. I have also to thank Dr. C. I. Forsyth Major, f.k.s., Mr. Gerrit S. 

 Miller, Jun., of the United States National Museum, Mr. Oldfield 

 Thomas, f.r.s., and Professor Keith for much kind heli^. 



I should state at the outset that I prefer to follow the lead of Winge and 

 Newton by retaining the name of L. variabilis, Pallas, for the Snow or Vary- 



' Newton, Quart. Journ. Ocol. Soo., vol. 1., p. 193. - Il>icl., vol. Iv., p. 421. 



sciENT. PROC. R.D.S., VOL. xn., NO. xxin. 2p 



