174 



GRAY RABBIT. 



pretty well covered, but nearer the orifice the skin visible through the 

 thinly scattered hairs ; legs, of moderate size ; claws, strong, sharp, and 

 nearly straight, concealed by the hair ; tail, longer in proportion than 

 that of the Northern hare. Fur, compact and soft, about an inch and a 

 quarter in length in winter. 



Summer dress. — Fur on the back, yellowish-bro-svn ; soft fur, from the 

 roots to the surface, plumbeous ; the long hairs which extend beyond the 

 fur, and give the general colour to the animal, are for three-fourths of 

 their length lead coloured, then yellowish, and are tipped with black. 

 Ears, dark-brown on the outer surface, destitute of the distinct black bor- 

 der seen in the Northern hare, and not tipped with black like those of the 

 Polar and the variable hare ; whiskers, nearly all black ; iris, light 

 brownish-yellow ; a circle of fawn colour around the eye, more conspicu- 

 ous nearest the forehead. Cheeks, grayish ; chin, under surface of body, 

 and inner surface of legs, light grayish-white ; tail, upper surface gray- 

 ish-brown, beneath, white. Breast, light yellowish-gray ; behind the 

 ears, a broad patch of fawn colour ; outer surface of fore-legs and thighs, 

 yellowish-brown. 



Winter colour. — Very similar to the above ; in a few specimens, the 

 hairs are whitest at the tips ; in others, black tips prevail. This Hare 

 never becomes white in any part of our country, and so far as our re- 

 searches have extended, we have scarcely found any variety in its co- 

 louring. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Adult Male. 





Inches. 



Lines 



Length 



of head and body 



15 







(( 



head 



3 



5 



it 



ears 



3 







(( 



tail (vertebrae) 



1 



2 



*i 



tail, including fur . 



2 



2 



From heel to end of middle claw . 



3 



7 





Weight, 21b. 7oz. 







This species abounds in our woods and forests, even in their densest 

 coverts ; it is fond of places overgrovs^n with young pines thickly crowded 

 together, or thickets of the high bush-blackberry, (Rubus villosus ;) and 

 is also fond of frequenting farms and plantations, and occupying the cop- 



