104 



cbin and throat gray-white, 'llie hairs of the head coloured like those 

 of the body ; an indistinct pale longitudinal dash on the flanks just 

 above the haunches : the anal region white. The general colour of 

 the tarsus above is white ; the hairs, however, are grayish- white at the 

 base, and then annulated with very^ pale buff colour (almost white), 

 and pure white at the points ; the sides of the tarsus are brown ; 

 the long hairs which cover the under ])art of the taj-sus, as well as 

 that of the fore-feet, deep brown. The fore-feet above very pale 

 brown, approaching to white ; the hairs covering the toes principally 

 white : the claws are slender and pointed, that of the longest toe 

 very slender. Ears longer than the head, sparingly furnished with 

 hair, the hairs minute and closely adpressed ; externally, on the 

 forepart, grizzled with black and yellowish white, on the hinder 

 part grayish-white ; the apical portion is obscurely margined with 

 black ; at the base the hairs are of a woolly nature, and of a very 

 pale buff colour ; the hairs on the occipital part of the head, and ex- 

 tending slightly on to the neck, are of the same colour and of the 

 same woolly character ; the ears internally are white, towards the 

 posterior margin obscurely grizzled with blackish, at the margin 

 yellowish. 



Dimensions. in. lines. 



Length 10 



Tarsus 3 



Tail and fur 1 3 



Ear externally 2 8 



Nose to ear 2 65 



Habitat S.W. coast of N. America, probably California. 



" This animal may possibly not be adult ; but neither in the teeth, 

 so far as can be ascertained from a stuffed specimen, nor in the cha- 

 racter of the fur, can I sec any reason for believing it young, excepting 

 that it is much under the ordinary size of the species of the genus to 

 which it belongs ; and although it may not be adult, it certainly is not 

 a very young animal. Compared with Lep. palustris, with which spe- 

 cies it was sent over by Mr. Douglas, it presents the following points 

 of distinction. Although the present animal is not above one-third of 

 the size of that species, the ears measure nearly a quarter of an inch 

 more in length: in fact, they are here longer than the head, whereas 

 in Lej). palustris they are much shorter. The next most important 

 difference is in the feet, — which instead of having comparatively 

 short and adpressed hairs which do not conceal the claws, are in 

 Lep. Bachmani long and woolly, especially on the under part, and not 

 only conceal the claws, but extend upwards of a quarter of an inch 

 beyond their tips. The claws are more slender and pointed, espe- 

 cially those of the fore-feet. Besides these differences there are 

 some others, which perhaps may be considered of minor importance : 

 the fur is much softer and more dense ; the longer hairs are extreme- 

 ly delicate, whilst in Lep. palustris they are harsh. As regards the 

 colour, Lep. palustris has a very distinct rich yellow tint, which is not 

 observed in the present species, the pale annulations of the hairs 



