HiNTON — The Fossil Hare of the Ossiferous Fissures of Ightham. 23 1 



what in no view of tlie value of that "species" it can include, viz., forms 

 really belonging to the variahiUs group. The forms which he thus regards 

 as sub-species of L. " medius " are L. var. varronis. Miller, L. var. breviauritus 

 Hilz., and L. var. scoticm, Hilz.' With regard to tlie first two I think a 

 glance at Table III. will show that they are referable to the variabilis group. 

 The ease of L. var, scoiiciis demands rather more notice here, because it is 

 of importance to our present object. Hilzheimer bases his description on 

 specimens from the north of Scotland collected in 1855, and the account of 

 the pelage agrees very well with the summer and winter coats of the Scotch 

 mountain hare. In the " Anmerkung " he proceeds : — " Barrett-Hamilton 

 stellt diesen Hasen zu L. iimidus [i.e., variabilis], da er keinen TJnterschied 

 finden kann. Bei beiden schottischen Exemplaren der Strassburger 

 Sammlung, die das Sommerkleid haben, ist der Sehwanz oberseits schwarz, 

 wahrend er bei den drei entsprechenden Stockholmer Stiicken weiss ist. 

 Audi werden die Ohren der Schotten ira Winter nicht ganz weiss."^ All 

 turns here upon what is to be understood as a " black " upper side to the tail. 

 The tail of the summer coat of L. var. scoticus is certainly darker above than 

 below, but it is not black, as is the tail of L. curopmis or " L. medius," and in 

 no way can it be called bicoloured. Further, it is curious to note that 

 Hilzheitoer leaves L. var. hibernicus, whieli is darker still, and which becomes 

 still less white in winter, as a subspecies of L. variabilis (= iimidus, Linn.).' It 

 may be, however, that Hilzheimer has described the "black" tail from a 

 Scotch skin of L. europmis, because a little later he states erroneously that 

 L. europceus does not occur in Scotland.* Be this as it may, there can be no 

 doubt that the Scotch mountain Hare is referable to L. variabilis, as is proved 

 by the skull, although it has certain features peculiar to itself which are 

 deserving of subspecific recognition. Hilzheimer's name of ^^ scoticus" is 

 therefore retained here for the subspecies. 



' HiLZHEiMEK, op. cU., pp. 3S9-392. 3 Op. cit., p. 387. 



= HiLZHEijiEit, 0^). «<., p. 389. - * 0^. dd., p. 393. 



[Tables. 



