Rocky Mountain Snowshoe Rabbit 39 
Measurements. — Total length, 17; tail vert., 1.75; hind foot, 
5.75; ear from notch (dried skin), 2.75-3.0. 
Description. — Summer pelage : Above brown with a certain amount 
of blackish showing, this being due to the fact that while the hairs 
are brown or fulvous tipped, an inner portion is blackish, and this 
sometimes shows; the bases of the hairs are fulvous; this refers to 
the outer coat of long hairs; under this is another of dense woolly 
hair, fulvous in color; tail above like back, below white; top of head 
a reddish brown, rather ruddy, ears black-tipped, white-bordered, 
otherwise brownish ; underparts white, with a pectoral band similar 
in color to the back, but somewhat paler; hind feet white, with 
soles pale fulvous; fore feet brownish. 
Winter pelage : White all over externally, except black tips of 
ears; the long outer hairs are entirely white; those of the short 
inner coat are white on the surface, pale fulvous at base. 
FIG. II. ROCKY MOUNTAIN SNOWSHOE RABBIT, LepUS hairdi 
Dorsal view of skull x i^ 
In spring and fall all intermediate stages between these two 
coats may be found. Dr. J. A. Allen has written a very interesting 
paper on these changes, based on the examination of a large series 
of specimens. The method of the change is as follows: In the 
autumn the change begins with the ears, head, and feet, which be- 
come white due to the shedding of the dark colored hairs, and their 
replacement by white ones; this change gradually extends over the 
back and remainder of the body, the long dark hairs being replaced 
