PRELIMINARY LIST OF THE MAMMALS OF NEW YORK 333 



Distribution in New York. The southern cottontail barely reaches 

 the southeastern extremity of New York. 



Principal records. Bangs : Specimens recorded from Hastings, Os- 

 wego co. and South Nyack, Rockland co. ('95, p. 411). Fisher: "Com- 

 mon [at Sing Sing]. Although hundreds are killed every winter never- 

 theless they appear to be just as common at the present time as 20 years 

 ago" ('96, p. 198). Mearns : "Fairly common throughout the [Hud- 

 son] highlands and found everywhere, from the brackish marshes beside 

 the Hudson to the tops of the highest mountains. Some individuals, 

 those from the highest localities, verge towards the subspecies tra?isition- 

 alis of Bangs, which is the only form of this species found about Fort 

 Miller 150 miles higher up the Hudson in Washington co. N. Y." ('98a, 



P- 33 1 )- 



I have never met with this rabbit in New York, but Mr A. H. Howell 



and Mr A. H. Helme have shown me specimens from Long Island. Mr 



Helme's specimens have been identified by Mr Outram Bangs. 



Lepus fioridanus transitionalis (Bangs) Northeastern cottontail 



1837 Lepus americanus Bachman, Acad. nat. sci. Philadelphia. Journ. 



v. 7, pt. 2. p. 326 (part). 

 1837 Lepus sylvaticus Bachman, Acad. nat. sci. Philadelphia. Journ. 



v. 7, pt. 2. 7 : 403 (part). 

 1842 Lepus nanus De Kay, Zoology of New York, Mammalia, p. 94 



(part). 

 1884 Lepus sylvaticus Merriam, Linn. soc. New York. Trans. 2:213 



(part). 

 1895 Lepus sylvaticus transitionalis Bangs, Boston soc. nat. hist. Proc. 



26:405. 

 1898 Lepus nuttalli transitionalis Thomas, Ann. and Mag. nat. hist. 



Oct. 1898. ser. 7. 2:320. 



1898 Lepus sylvaticus transitionalis Mearns, U. S. Nat. mus. Proc. 



21:345. 



1899 Lepus fioridanus transitionalis Allen, Am. mus. nat. .hist. Bui. 



4 Mar. 1899. 12 : 13. 



Type locality. Liberty Hill, New London co. Ct. 



Faunal position. The northeastern cottontail appears to be strictly 

 confined to the transition zone. 



Habitat. " Lepus sylvaticus transitionalis ... is seldom found in open 

 fields but prefers the seclusion of the thickest swamps, green brier 



