204 



NOBTH AMERICAN FAUNA. 



[no. 27. 



mostly dark. One taken May 1 was still further advanced in the 

 molt. By May 4 the animals were mainly fawn colored above, a few 

 white hairs being still retained, and the long summer fur beginning 

 to show in j^atches. This condition was still further advanced in 

 specimens taken May 7 and 11, and one taken on May IG was in nearly 

 complete summer dress. Rabbits noted near the mouth of Nahanni 

 River early in June still retained scattering white hairs on the back, 

 and a few of these sometimes persist until late in the season. 



A careful s'tudy of the series collected, together with a series of 

 skulls in the National Museum from various points in the region, and 

 specimens from Oxford House, Keewatin, the latter representing 

 typical Z. america?ms, convinces me that the varying hares of the in- 

 terior of British America east of the Rocky Mountains, due allow- 

 ance being made for individual variation, are very uniform in char- 

 acters. There is a slight increase in size northward, culminating in 

 the form named macfarlani from Fort Anderson, which seems to 

 occupy the upper Hudsonian zone. Only two adult skulls of typical 

 L. a7nericanvs from the Hudson Bay region (Oxford House) are 

 available for comparison. These are rather small, but can be matched 

 in size b}" some adult specimens from the upper Mackenzie region. 

 It is probable that they do not fairly represent amerlcanus^ and that 

 a larger series would be found to agree approximately in size with 

 specimens from Athabaska and the upper Mackenzie. In color the ' 

 Oxford House skins can be matched by specimens from Fort Chip- 

 ewyan and various points about Great Slave Lake, but the larger 

 series naturally shows much individual variation. 



Two specimens from Fort Chipewyan average in measurements: 

 Total length 460, tail vertebrse 39, hind foot 133 ; one from Fort Reso- 

 lution measures 470, 33, 133 ; one from Fort Rae, 480, 45, 138. Ten \ 

 of the largest specimens from the Fort Simpson series average 466.5, 

 43, 142. 



The following references are quoted mainly because of their bear- 

 ing on the abundance of rabbits during certain years. MacFarlane 

 found them in great abundance on Lockhart River, a tributary of 

 the Anderson, in the summer of 1857.^^ He states that they were fairly 

 abundant in the same region in the summer of 1860.^ Macoun gives 

 them as very abundant along the Clearwater in the early autumn of | 

 1875.^ J. B. Tyrrell, while exploring the country between the east- 

 ern part of Athabaska Lake and Churchill River in the summer of 

 1892, states that rabbits were found everywhere in the denser woods, 

 but did not seem to be anywhere abundant.^ Russell found them 



« Can. Record of Science, IV, p. 32, 1890. 

 '''Ms. notes. 



Manitoba and Great Northwest, p. 352, 1882. 

 <^Anu. Rept. Can. Geol. Surv., VIII (new ser.), p. 13D, 1896. 



