284 DR. EINAR LONNBERG ON HYBRID [Apr. 18, 



was mucli lighter than the others. The genei'al colour of the 

 back is a sandy greyish yellow, produced by the pale yellow to 

 whitish-yelloAv tips of the hairs which almost entirely conceal the 

 next portions of the hairs which a,re dark brown. The under-fur 

 is silky white. The sides of the breast have a silvery-white haze 

 on a rusty ground-colour, produced by long white hairs and white 

 tips to the other hairs, the lower portions of which are rusty. The 

 lower neck and chest have a pale rusty-yellow ground-colour, 

 which, however, is almost concealed, or at least veiled over, by 

 very long white tips to the hairs. The head is like that of a 

 Lepus europceus in its winter coat, but the white areas are more 

 extended and more purely white, and the darker parts lighter, 

 rust-coloured. The throat is pure white. The ears are somewhat 

 lighter than those of L. europceus. The hind-neck is rust-coloured, 

 much mixed with white. Hind-quarters and a portion of the 

 lower back to an extent of 7 cm. are bluish ash- coloured. Fore 

 legs rusty red in front, otherwise white ; hind legs white with rusty 

 patches. Tail white with a narrow stripe of greyish black 

 above. 



The dimensions of this Hare were : — Total length about 58 cm. ; 

 length of head 11| cm.; length of ears (measured as above) 

 13 cm, ; hind foot 16 cm. ; tail 10 cm. These measurements are 

 partly intermediate between the average measurements for 

 L. timidus and europceiijS, especially the length of the ears. The 

 hind foot is nearly as large as in L. timidus and the tail as in 

 L. eiiropceus. These facts taken together with the colour indicate 

 that this specimen is a hybrid. Such an opinion is also 

 strengthened by an investigation of the skull. The greatest width 

 of both nasals is contained more than twice in their length, as in 

 L. europceus, but otherwise their general shape is intermediate. 

 The height of the zygomatic ai'ch is only 9 cm,, but its foremost 

 part in front of the deep gi'oove for the insertion of masseter 

 latercdis is almost higher than long, and differs in this respect fi'om 

 the condition found in Z. europceus. The foremost pi-emolar of 

 the maxillary has three enamel-folds. 



Although, as the desciiption indicates, this specimen is a hybrid, it 

 resembles L. europceus more than the former hybrid does, and it may 

 therefore be possible that it is the product of a secondary crossing 

 between a hybrid of the first degree and a specimen of L. europceus. 

 No real proofs for such an hypothesis can be offered, but it is made 

 probable per cmcdogiam by the existence of other specimens which 

 also may be supposed to be pi'oducts of a secondary crossing, but in 

 this latter case between hybi-ids of the first degree and L. timidus. 

 The first of such specimens was received in the middle of January 

 1905, from the estate Vrams-Gunnarstorp in Scania, belonging 

 to Governor Tornerhjelm, Its ears wei^e intermediate in length 

 and measured about 13 cm.* The tail was rather less than inter- 



* I regret to say that the head of this specimen had been cut away in front of the 

 ears, as is an old and habitual custom in Sweden, probably originally an act of 

 superstition. 



