22 



LEPOKID.'E. 



pale grey ; lower parts, from between 

 the fore-legs to tip of tail, white, ex- 

 cept at •inner base of hind-legs, which 

 are of a very pale grey ; upper portion 

 of tail * white, with a few black hairs 

 towards the base, giving that part a sul- 

 lied or impure tinge. 



Fure-lec/s dull reddish-brown hi front 

 and outer sides ; inner and hinder por- 

 tion white, which colour comes forward 

 transversely on the outer sides of the 

 legs, just above the foot, which is bro-wn. 

 Sides of hinder legs greyish, tinged an- 

 teriorly with yellowish-brown; of this 

 colour a stripe extends from the tarsal 

 joint to the middle toe, and is bounded 

 on both sides by white ; entire base from 

 tarsal joint to toe-claws dull greyish- 

 brown, inner portion of same part whit- 

 ish ; this varied marking more or less 

 conspicuous in different individuals. 



Lips greyish ; whiskers uniformly 

 white or black, or of both colours ; 

 irides dark hazel. 



black, the former predominating; to- 

 wards the lower portion of the sides 

 the pale reddish-brown, or rich cinna- 

 mon colour, only appears, and this alone 

 prevails on both sides of the neck, and 

 on its lower portion ; entire under sur- 

 face, from between the fore-legs to the 

 tip of tail, white, except at inner base 

 of hind-legs, where a pale cinnamon co- 

 lour prevails. 



Fore-legs dark reddish -brown in front 

 and outer sides ; inner and hinder por- 

 tion a very pale red and white inter- 

 mixed. Hind-legs, to tarsal joint, of a 

 grey and very pale red combined ; from 

 thence to middle toe reddish-brown, 

 which colour becomes gradually paler 

 posteriorly ; inner portion of same part 

 whitish. 



IJiJS blackish; whiskers uniformly 

 white or black, or of both colours ; 

 irides dark hazel. 



" From this comparative description it appears that the Lepus timidus dis- 

 plays greater diversity of colour in the head, ears, and body, than Lepus Hiber- 

 nicus, and that the latter exhibits greater variety in the disposition of colours 

 on the legs. 



" On looking to the visceral anatomy, along with my friend, Dr. J. L. Drum- 

 mond, the following measurements were made : — 



Length of small intestines from stomach to coecuin . 



— of coecuni from termination of the ileum . 



— of colon 



— of rectum 



Irish Hare. 



Scot. Hare. 



MALI.. 



Weight, 

 .•ilb. 3oz. 



MALE. 



Weight, 

 61b. 2oz. 



feet 

 12 



1 

 4 

 3 



inch. 

 10 

 6i 

 5 

 



feet 

 14 



4 

 3 



inch. 

 



I 

 



" In the following table, a comparative view is presented of the osteologica! 

 characters of the two species : — 



* It is singular that this, the most obvious of all the differences in colour be- 

 tween the two species, should have been quite unnoticed by the several authors 

 who have written on the Irish hare, more especially as the colour of the tail is 

 always one of the few leading characters given of Lepus timidus, both by British 

 and continental authors. On questioning some of the Belfast dealers in hares as 

 to their means of knowing the two species, I found that the difference of colour 

 in the tail was one of their marks of distinction — with every external character, 

 indeed, they are, and always have been, quite familiar. 



