514 BODENTIA 



Tail with the usual black and white areas. Nape patch rather 

 well defined, concolor with outer surface of legs. Head essen- 

 tially like back but more finely grizzled ; cheeks like crown or 

 somewhat suffused with ochraceous-buff, the pale eye-ring and the 

 spot before and behind eye obsolete ; a clear dark ochraceous-buff 

 patch at base of whiskers ; muzzle dull buffy or greyish, forming 

 no distinct contrast with surrounding parts. Ear dark and dull, 

 the colour pattern ill-defined, and the narrow whitish rim of 

 outer border thrown into Unusually strong contrast ; anterior 

 outer surface and dark area on inner surface prout-brown slightly 

 grizzled with dull buffy ; grey of posterior outer surface extending 

 nearly to base of ear ; black area normal ; no grey on inner 

 surface, this region, except on dark area, everywhere ochraceous- 

 buff like fringe of inner border. Collar dull ochraceous-buff 

 irregularly washed and varied with cream-buff. Interramial 

 region very dull white or pale ochraceous-buff. White of under- 

 parts limited to a narrow area, not more than 50 mm. across, 

 extending from posterior portion of chest to inguinal patches, 

 which may or may not completely separate it from the white of 

 intercrural region and base of tail. Anterior portion of chest 

 whitish ochraceous-buff like inner surface of fore legs. 



Skull and teeth. — The skull of Lepus mediterraneus is imme- 

 diately distinguishable among European hares by its extremely 

 small size, the occipitonasal length in a fully adult male being 

 only 83*6 mm., thus scarcely exceeding that of Orcytolagus 

 cuniculus. In form and in the proportions of the different parts 

 it shows, however, no marked peculiarities, agreeing, in most 

 respects, with the large Lepus europseus, though the auditory bullae 

 more nearly approach the form occurring in L. granatensis. 

 Anterior portion of zygoma remarkably variable in form. Among 

 the four skulls examined two have this region essentially as in 

 L. europseus, one more nearly approaches the timidus type, while 

 in the fourth, although fully adult, the groove is so shallow and 

 ill-defined as to be practically absent, a condition that I have not 

 seen in other European hares. Teeth peculiar in their small size 

 only- 



Measurements. — Adult male and female : hind foot, 103 and 96 ; 

 ear from crown, 114 and 109. Two other specimens, sex not 

 noted : hind foot, 93 and 95 ; ear from crown, 97 and 99. For 

 cranial measurements see Table, p. 520. 



Specimens examined. — Six, all from Sardinia. 



Remarks. — This very distinct species is at once recognizable 

 among European hares by its small size and dull colour. 



2. Sassari, Sardinia. Genoa Museum (e). 97. 2. 27. 1-2. 



<5, 9. Cagliari, Sardinia. (Mazza.) Genoa Museum (e). 98. 5. 12. 1-2. 



