80 REMARKS ON THE GENUS LEPUS. 
trappers, attached to our party, who had perambu- 
lated the country for years, and were acquainted 
with, perhaps, every animal in it, said that it never 
attained a greater size. It is remarkably gentle, hop- 
ping before you like a domesticated animal.” 
7. Lepus campestris, (nob.) Prairie Hare. 
Lepus campestris, Journal Acad. Nat. Sciences, Vol. 
VII., part 2, p. 349: A. D. 1S37. 
In my former article I offered reasons for believ- 
ing this animal distinct from the northern hare, 
(L. americanus, Erx., and L. virginianus , Harlan,) 
to which my friend, Dr. Richardson, had referred 
it. I felt confident of this from the accuracy with 
which he was in the habit of describing his speci- 
mens. I have recently had an opportunity of ascer- 
taining that I was correct in separating this species 
from our northern hare. Dr. Richardson, who 
holds an honorable station at Portsmouth, in the 
service of the government, had the kindness to visit 
me at London, and brought with him, among other 
rare specimens, that which, in his work, (Fauna 
Boreali Americana, p. 224,) he referred to the 
northern hare, (L. virginianus, Har., and L. 
americanus , Erx.) We were fortunate in having 
before us specimens of the polar, northern, and 
prairie hare, and were not at a moment’s loss in de- 
termining that they were three distinct species. 
The error into which he had inadvertently fallen, 
may be easily accounted for. He was unacquaint- 
ed with our gray rabbit of the United States, or 
else he would have saved naturalists the trouble of 
