LEPORID^ 189 



rapid when at full speed. The gait when movingf slowly is a ser- 

 ies of hopis and is ungainly. 



The Desert Hares appear to be subject to epidemics, perhaps 

 more so than other species. In the summer of 1894, in Lassen 

 and Modbc Counties, I saw numbers of bodies scattered among 

 the sage brush and along the road. Some of those that I ex- 

 amined contained "warbles," but these were insufficient to account 

 for the death of the animals. It seemed to me that more died 

 than remained alive. Such epidemics have been frequently no- 

 ticed, but I have seen no account of their occurence in central and 

 Southern California. 



AH Hares are subject to the attacks of numerous parasites, 

 such as tapeworms, ticks, bots and warbles. A brief mention of 

 some of these may be useful. In skinning a. Hare a large blister 

 is sometimes found under the skin or in the flesh. This is some- 

 times called a "water blister." In the fluid contained in this blis- 

 ter are numerous larvje of a tapeworm, a species of Cxnurus. Tb 

 enable these tapeworm larvae to complete the change to- adult tape- 

 worms it is necessary that they be transferred to the stomach ol 

 some member of the Canids., as a dog or a coyote. This frequent- 

 ly occurs in the natural course O'f events. If you don't wish your 

 dog to suffer with tapeworm' don't feed these blisters tO' it without 

 previous cooking. The very minute eggs of the tapeworm pass 

 from their canine host, and some adhering to vegetation are ac- 

 cidentally eaten by Hares, to continue this curious process of pass- 

 ing through two different animals to enable one parasite to com- 

 plete its various life stages. The "warbles" spoken of above are 

 the larvae of a species oi Cuterebra, a fly which deposits its eggs 

 in the skin of the Hare, in the same manner that another species 

 does in the skin on the backs of cattle. Probably none of these 

 various parasites would render the flesh of a Hare harmful if the 

 flsh is thoroughly cooked, but it is not appetizing to know of their 

 presence. 



The young average about four, and it is probable that three 

 or more litters are born annually. Their fecundity must be great 



