21 



The Bureau of Biological Survey has recorded but one West Vir- 

 ginia speciinen. This was collected at Travelers Repose, Pocahon- 

 tas county. During several collecting trips made to the higher 

 parts of this State I have kept a constant lookout for white rab- 

 bits but have never seen a specimen. It is reported by hunters as 

 being rather abundant in places on Shavers mountain, also on 

 Black mountain. Mr. George Leichter has informed me that he 

 was with a party of hunters in the fall of 1908 that killed three 

 on Red Run, a tributary of Cranberry river. W. O. Johnson, of 

 Romney, reports that he has seen a number during recent years in 

 Caanan valley, Tucker county. 



This rabbit is considerably larger than the common cottontails. 

 It is shy and a swift runner so that it escapes both the eye of the 

 hunter and the fleetness of the dog. Reports on i1^ occurrence in 

 different localities are much desired. 



Eastern Cottontail, Sylvilagu.s floridanus mallurus Thomas. 



The eastern cottontail rabbit is apparently confined, chiefly, in 

 its distribution in West Virginia to the regions east of the Alle- 

 gheny mountains. The common cottontail of our eastern and south- 

 eastern counties probably belongs to this subspecies. It is occasion- 

 ally found west of the mountains, as Mr. W. E. Nelson, of the Bio- 

 logical Survey, records 9 specimens from Wetzel county (N. A. 

 Fauna No. 29.) There is little doubt that the western part of its 

 range overlaps that of the next subspecies. In addition to the 

 specimens from Wetzel county. Nelson records 8 from Pendleton 

 county and 2 from Greenbrier county. 



Meam'e Cottontail, Sylvilagus floridanus mearnsi Allen. 



This subspecies is indistinguishable from the one just described 

 except on close examination of a number of specimens represent- 

 ing both. The ears of IMearn's cottontail are slightly shorter than 

 those of the eastern cottontail, the hindfeet being longer and the 

 upperparts paler and more grayish. Its range in West Virginia, 

 as given by Nelson, is the v/estern part of the State. 



New England Cottontail, Sylvilagus transitionalis Bangs. 



A comparatively narrow strip of country extending from Maine 



