1905.] HARES FROM SOUTHERN SWEDEN. 279 



The first Hare I had the pleasure of receiving, and about 

 the hybrid nature of which there cannot be the slightest doubt, 

 was shot the 28th of October, 1904, by His Royal Highness 

 Gustavus Adolphus at Skabersjo in Scania, on the rich and well- 

 kept hunting-grounds of Count Tage Thott, and immediately sent 

 up to the Swedish Museum of Natural History in Stockholm, 

 where it is now mounted. It is a female of rather large size, 

 measuring about 60 cm. from the snout to the root of the tail. 

 The length of the head is about 11 cm. The length of the 

 ears, measured from their base on the outer side, but without 

 the hairs at their tips, is 129 mm. (or with the hairs 137 mm.), 

 the length of the hind foot from the heel to the tip of the 

 middle claws is 17 cm., and the length of the tail, not counting 

 the hairs, 87 mm. 



From these dimensions it may be seen that this Hare does 

 not agree with Lejnis tmiidus or with L. europLHus with regard 

 to such measurements that are of value for the distinction of these 

 two species, viz., those of the ears, tail, and hind foot. The first 

 two dimensions are plainly intermediate between the correspond- 

 ing ones of the species of Hai-e mentioned above. The maximum 

 length of the ear of Lepus timidus, measured as above, seems to 

 be about 11| to 12 cm., and the same dimension of L. europcuus 

 about 12 cm. The tail of the foi'mer without the hairs is about 

 60 to 72 mm., and of the latter 95 to 105 mm. The hind foot of 

 L. europceus does not seem to exceed 150 mm., at least not much, 

 when measui-ed as above, while that of a full-grown L. tiinidus 

 usually is from 160 to 165 mm. In this respect this hybrid 

 specimen consequ^ently has attained a larger size than either 

 parental species. 



A description of the colour of the hybrid reveals the double 

 origin just as plainly as the measurements. It is almost com- 

 pletely still in its summer pelage, but the new winter coat is showing 

 here and there. The nose is rust-coloured above as in L. europceus. 

 The sides of the nose are lighter, partly whitish. The lips are 

 whitish, light greyish in the middle ; the chin and throat are 

 white. The sides of the head and the nose are rust-coloured, 

 but somewhat mixed with dark brown hairs. There is a darker 

 vertical spot below the anterior angle of the eye. The anterior 

 and upper vibrisste are black, the lower and posterior white. The 

 hairs of the forehead are dark brown with yellowish- white tips, 

 the combination producing a general yellowish-brown colour. 

 The anteiior surface of the ears is quite similar to the fore- 

 head, the median surface rust-coloured ; the posterior half and 

 the base have assumed the winter coat and are white ; the tip is 

 margined with black, a 15 mm. broad black band extending about 

 27 mm. from the tip (including the hairs). The inside of the 

 ear-conch is in the middle whitish, but the more conspicuous 

 marginal jjarts are rusty yellow. The sides of the occiput from 

 behind the eyes and below the ears rust-coloured mixed with 

 white. The middle of the occiput, from behind the ears, and the 



