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INTELLIGENCE. 



ZOOLOGICAL. 



Irish Hare, (Lepus Hihernicus, Yarrell.) — Mr Yarrell was, I be- 

 lieve, the first zoologist who observed that a considerable difference 

 existed in the external character of the Irish and common hares. 

 His account will be found in the proceedings of the Zoological So- 

 ciety for July 23, 1833, since which time Mr Bell, in his History 

 of British Quadrupeds, has described both of them, characteriz- 

 ing the Irish hare under the name of L. Hibernicus. I am not, 

 however, aware that any observations on the anatomical distinc- 

 tions of the two species have been made public. With a view, there- 

 fore, of filling up the blank to a certain degree, this paper is written. 



On placing the skeletons of the two species in juxtaposition, the 

 most obvious distinguishing characters are the greater size altogether 

 of the skeleton, the greater length of the lateral processes of the 

 lumbar vertebra, the superior breadth of the scapula, the greater 

 breadth of the ribs, the greater length of the humerus in proportion 

 to that of the ulna, (which is scarcely longer than in the common 

 hare,) together with the much larger size of the cranium and in- 

 ferior maxillary bones in the Irish hare. These differences would 

 probably distinguish it as a species distinct from the common hare, 

 did no other characters exist. 



In the numbering of the vertebrae and ribs they do not differ, ex- 

 cept as to the caudal ones, which in the Irish hare are 13, and in 

 the English 16 ; the sacral in both are 4, the lumbar T, the dorsal 

 12, and cervical 7? making the total number in the Irish hare 43, 

 and in the common hare 46. 



The ribs in each species are 12. The males of both species are 

 smaller than the females in all their admeasurements. The intes- 

 tinal canal is in the male of the Irish hare nearly two feet shorter 

 than in the female. The following table will shew the relative 

 measurements in tlie female of each species, of some of the principal 

 bones, and of the intestinal canal. 





L. timidus, F. 



L. Hilernkus, F. 



Length of the intestinal canal from sto- 







mach to anus, 



14 ft. ] in. 



18 ft. 6 in. 



Length from caecum to anus, 



3 6 



4 1 



of caecum, 



2 



1 7 



