644 



REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST. 



LEPUS AMERICANUS PIIAEONOTITS Allen. 

 MINNESOTA VAKYING HARE. 



Lepus americanus phaeonotus Allen, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. 

 Hist., Vol. 12, p. 11, 1899. 



Description. — IMuch larger than the cottontail, with longer feet 

 and ears. In summer the color is brighter brown on the back than 

 in the common rabbit and the ears are tipped with blackish; in 

 winter the color becomes clear white. 



Distrihntion and habits. — According to IMr. Hartley Jackson, 

 this hare "is not uncommon in most sections of northern Wiscon- 

 s-in. " Kennicott records the killing of one (under the name of 

 L. americanus) in 1824 on the present site of Chicago. 



I have been led to include the species in this doubtful list prin- 

 cipally upon the statement of Mr. I. N. Lamb, now of Richmond, 

 who was familiar with the Kankakee Valley from 1870 to 1875. He 

 speaks of large rabbits which he says "resemble the western jack 

 rabbit, but is not so large ; really they look more like the Wiscon- 

 sin rabbit. " It is very probable that a few varying hares may have 

 occurred in all parts of northern Indiana in the early day, but their 

 habits are very retiring and they would not readily attract notice. 

 It is not improbable that the animal which Messrs. Evermann and 

 Butler have recorded as a jack rabbit was really a varying hare. 



It is hardly probable that any representatives of the species are 

 living in the State at the present time. It is impossible to say, in 

 the absence of any specimens, whether the form from this region is 

 subspecies phaeonotus or subspecies virginianus, but the former 

 seems more probable. 



LEPUS CAMPESTKIS Raehmaii. 

 JACK EABBIT. 



Lepus campestris Bachman, Journ. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phil., Vol. 

 7, p. 849, 1887. 

 Evermaiui and Butler, Proc. Ind. Acad. Sci. for 1898, p. 125. 

 1894. 



Diagnoslie eJiaraclers. — Distinguished from other ral)bits found 

 east of the Mississii)pi by its large si/e, th(^ totnl length Ix'ing about 

 24 inches. 



Description. — Color yellowish gray, with some brown hairs in- 

 termingled; underi){irts wliite; tail nlso whit(N with no black bor- 

 dei'. \\\ winter, in the noi'lhci-n pju't ol* its I'aiige, it becomes i)ui'e 



