334 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



patches, scruboaks and old overgrown pastures that have come up to 

 sumacs, alders, roses and various shrubs " (Bangs, '95, p. 412). 



Distribution in New York. The distribution of this form of cottontail 

 in New York is very imperfectly understood. The animal probably 

 occurs throughout the area occupied by the transition zone in the 

 eastern half of the state. Without much question it is rapidly pushing 

 its way northward as the heavy forests are removed. 



Principal record. Bacbman : " About 30 years ago it was not known 

 in the neighborhood of Troy, in the state of New York. The northern 

 hare was then very abundant. The American hare soon after made its 

 appearance in very small numbers and in proportion to its increase the 

 former began to grow more scarce. For a time they continued to t»e 

 found in the same neighborhood, but whether the two species were not 

 reconciled to each other, or what is more probable, that the northern 

 hare was more hunted than the other, it has become comparatively scarce 

 whilst the American hare is exceedingly numerous" ('37a, p. 328). 

 De Kay: " It has not a wide geographic range. It is found from New 

 Hampshire to Florida but its western limits are not yet established " 

 ('42, p. 95). Merriam : " The gray rabbit . . . only enters the Adiron- 

 dack region along its southern border, in Fulton, Saratoga and Warren 

 counties" ('84d, p. 213). Bangs: ''East side of lower Hudson river" 

 ('95, p. 411)- Fisher: "Common [at Sing Sing]" ('96, p. 198). 

 Mearns : " Curiously enough this small rabbit is generally known to the 

 residents of the upper Schoharie valley by the name of 'Jack rabbit'. 

 I was informed by persons who had lived near Kaaterskill junction for 

 many years that this rabbit had extended its range upward into the 

 cleared lands of the Schoharie valley during recent years " ( '98b, p. 345). 



Lepus fioridanus mearnsi Allen Eastern prairie cottontail 



1894 Lepus sylvaticus mearnsi Allen, Am. mus. nat. hist. Bui. 31 May 



1894. 6 : 171. 



1895 Lepus sylvaticus mearnsi Bangs, Boston soc. nat. hist. Proc. 26 : 406. 



1898 Lepus nuttalti mearnsi Thomas, Ann. and Mag. nat. hist. Oct. 



1898. ser. 7. 2 : 320. 



1899 Lepus fioridanus mearnsi Allen, Am. mus. nat. hist. Bui. 4 Mar. 1899. 



12: 13. 



Type locality. Fort Snelling, Minnesota. 



Faunat I position. Transition and upper austral zone. 



Habitat. Prairies and open fields. 



