HI. 



as this is the mod material circumftance in which 

 they are fuppofed by him to vary, whether exterior 

 or interior. 



Though bulk is undoubtedly a very proper cir* 

 cumftance to be attended to in the description of 

 an animal ; yet recourie (hould never be had to it 

 in eftabjiming a fpeciflc difference, except it is the 

 only criterion which can be fixed upon, and the dis- 

 proportion in point of fize is very great. 



An Hare, however 9 does not exceed a Rabbit fa, 

 much in bulk as a Patagonian does a Laplander, of 

 a maftiff does a lap-dog, which yet are not to be 

 confidered as differing in fpecies. 



J3efides this, age, climate 9 and food, as well as 

 other circumflances, often occafion great difti notion 

 between animals of the fame fpecies, in point of 

 bulk. 



The Hare (for example) which is found in moft 

 parts of North America, is a third lefs than the 

 European Hare, and confequently is fcarcely larger 

 than our Rabbit [&]. 



The next criterion which Ray fixes upon to "di=- 

 ftinguifh the Rabbit from the Hare, is that the latter 

 burrows in the ground ; this,- however, only holds 

 with regard to the warren Rabbit, for thofe which 

 are called hedge Rabbits feldom burrow, and many 

 of them fit in forms as Hares do. 



[b] Monf, c3e Buffon is mifinformed, when he aflert 1 -', on the 

 contrary, that the American Hare is larger than that of Europe, 

 (Hilt. N. t. VI. p. 246) if I can depend upon the accounts 

 I have received from thofe who have long reflded in America, 

 as well as fome fluffed fpecimens which I have examined. See 

 alfo Mr ? Pennant's Syn. of Quadr. p. 249. 



The 



