528 



Lepus timidus varronis Miller. 



1857. [Lepus variabilis] b. Form der Mittelregion und der Alpen, Blasius, 



Saugethiere Deutschlands, p. 424 (part). 

 1901. Lepus varronis Miller, Proo. Biol. Soc, Washington, xiv, p. 97, 



June 27, 1901. Type in U.S. National Museum. 

 1906. L[epus] m[edius] varronis Hilzheimer, Zool. Anzeiger, xxx, p. 511, 



August 14, 1906. 

 1906. L\epus~] m[edius~] breviauritus Hilzheimer, Zool. Anzeiger, xxx, 



p. 511, August 14, 1906 (Bernese Alps, Switzerland). With regard 



to status see Mottaz, Bull. Soc. Zool. de Geneve, 1908, pp. 172-174, 



November 15, 1908. 

 1910. Lepus medius varronis Trouessart, Faune Mamm. d'Europe, p. 218. 



Type locality. — Hinzenberg, Grisons, Switzerland. 



Geographical distribution. — Alps and adjacent mountain 

 chains, mostly at elevations above 1,300 m. 



Diagnosis. — Decidedly smaller than Lepus timidus timidus, 

 the occipitonasal length of skull rarely if ever reaching 95 mm. 

 (usually 85 to 93 mm.) ; summer pelage lighter and more greyish ; 

 winter pelage always white, the middle of back usually with a 

 faint greyish wash ; anterior portion of outer border of ear 

 nearly always buffy grey ; black area at tip of ear confined to rim. 



Measurements. — Type (adult male) : head and body, 582 ; 

 tail, 53; hind foot, 144 - 6; ear from crown, 106. Two adult 

 males from Grisons, Switzerland : head and body, 570 and 585 ; 

 tail, 65 and 50; hind foot, 148 and 141; ear from crown, 

 98 and 101. Two adult females from the same region: head 

 and body, 575 and 610 ; tail, 55 and 56 ; hind foot, 146 and 142 ; 

 ear from crown, 100-5 and 99. Adult female from Padola, 

 Cadore, Italy : hind foot, 142 ; ear from crown, 101. Two males 

 from Col-de-Vars, Hautes-Alpes, France : hind foot, 138 and 

 139. For cranial measurements see Table, p. 533. 



Specimens examined : — Twenty-four, from the following localities : — 



Fbance : Col-de-Vars, Hautes-Alpes, 2 ; above Barcelonnette, Basses- 

 Alpes, 2 (Mottaz) ; Petit Bornand, Haute-Savoie, 2 (Mottaz). 



Switzerland : Canton St. Gallen, 3 ; Hinzenberg, Grisons, 1 

 (U.S.N.M.}: Lugnetz, Grisons, 2 (U.S.N.M.) ; Obersaxen, Grisons, 1 

 (U.S.N.M.) ; Untervatz, Grisons, 1 (U.S.N.M) ; Grisons, no exact locality, 

 5 (B.M. and U.S.N.M.) ; Centovalli, Ticino, 1 (U.S.N.M.) ; San Lucio, 

 Val Colla, Ticino, 1 (U.S.N.M.). 



Italy : Padola, Cadore, 2 (Turin) ; Dronero, Cuneo, 1. 



Remarks. — The Alpine varying hare is a strongly characterized 

 race, which should perhaps be treated as a species distinct from 

 Lepus timidus. The winter coat appears to be always white or 

 incompletely white ; a special blue grey winter pelage like that 

 of " sylvaticus" is unknown. 



2 i. Col-de-Vars, Hautes-Alpes, O. Thomas (p). 8. 8. 10. 131-132. 



France. (C. Mottaz.) 



9. St. Gallen, Switzerland. O. Thomas (p). 2. 8. 4. 52. 



(E. H. ZolUkofer.) 



6, 2 ? Grisons. (E. H. ZolUkofer.) O. Thomas (p). 2. 8. 4. 49-51. 



1. Dronero, Cuneo, Italy. W. Playters Stark 11. 1. 2. 111. 



(c & p). 



