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TEXAN HARE. 
bon’s party whilst passing through Mexico, they at times killing so many 
that the men became tired of them. 
Fabulous stories similar to those related of many other animals of which 
little was formerly known, have been told us of this Hare, which has been 
described as enormously large, and was many years ago mentioned to us 
as equal in size to a fox. Of course we were somewhat disappointed when 
we procured specimens, although it is a fine large species. 
Among other old stories about the animals of Texas and Mexico, we 
have a rather curious one in Clavighero’s notes or attempted elucidation 
of Hernandez, which we give as translated by Capt. J. P. McCown from 
the Spanish. The Ocotochtli, according to Dr. Hernandez, is a species of 
wild-cat. He says that “ when it has killed any game it climbs a tree and 
utters a howl of invitation to other animals that come and eat and die, as 
the flesh was poisoned by its bite, when he descends and makes his meal 
from the store that his trick has put at his disposal.” 
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. 
This Hare appears to inhabit the southern parts of New Mexico, the 
western parts of Texas, and the elevated lands westward of the tierras 
calientes (low lands of the coast) of Mexico, and is found within a few 
miles of San Petruchio, forty miles from the coast : so J. W. Audubon 
was informed by some Rangers who accompanied a party sent from San 
Antonio in 1845, who having the use of “ Col. Harney’s” greyhounds, had 
many a chase, but never caught one ! How near it approaches the sea 
coast we could not learn. It was not observed west of Ures in Sonora 
by J. W. Audubon, and seems to be replaced by the Californian Hare 
on the Pacific coast. 
Its southern limit is unknown to us, but it probably extends sono 
distance beyond the city of Mexico. 
GENERAL REMARKS. 
Since publishing our article on Lepus Townsendii we have received some 
accounts of the habits of a Hare which we presume may prove to be that 
animal ; they are singular, and may interest our readers. Captain Thomas 
G. Rhett, of the United States army, who was stationed at Fort Laramie 
for more than two years, observed the Hares of that neighbourhood to 
make burrows in the ground like rabbits. They ran into these holes when 
alarmed, and when chased by his greyhounds generally escaped by diving 
into them. The captain frequently saw them sitting at the mouths of their 
