148 
ON THE GEOLOGY AND NATURAL HISTORY 
Neotoma cinerea. 
Rocky Mountain Rat. Baird, General Report on Mammals, 1857, p. 499. 
Not rare, but seldom taken; usually found among the dry trees on the river bottoms. 
The only specimen secured was captured at Fort Sarpy, near the mouth of the Big Florn 
river, on the Yellowstone, in the summer of 1854. Range: Eastern slope of Northern 
Rocky mountains and Upper Missouri. 
Arvicola Haydeni, Baird. 
Baird, General Report on Mammals, 1857, p. 543. 
But one specimen of this species has ever been detected. Fort Pierre, Nebraska. 
Lepus campestris, Bachm. 
Prairie Hare. Baird, General Report on Mammals, 1857, p. 585. 
I found the Prairie Hare diffused throughout the Upper Missouri country, west and north 
of Big Sioux river, though never very abundant. It is confined entirely to the prairie, and 
from that fact derives its name. Its flesh is used for food to some extent, but is not con¬ 
sidered a delicacy. It turns white in winter. Range: Upper Missouri, and Saskatchewan 
plains to the Cascade range of Oregon. 
Lepus sylvaticus, Bach. 
Gray Rabbit. Baird, General Report on Mammals, 1857, p. 597. 
This little rabbit is exceedingly abundant all along the Missouri in the bottoms, where 
its favorite resort is among the thick willows, upon which it subsists to a great extent. 
It is most abundant as far up the river as the mouth of the Niobrara, but passing that 
point, is begins to become rare, and is found only on the willow bottoms skirting the Mis¬ 
souri. Its flesh is very delicate, and affords a most delicious meal to the hungry voyager. 
Range : From Massachusetts throughout the United States, and west as far as Fort Union, 
Nebraska. 
Lepus Artemisia, Bach. 
Sage Hare. Baird, General Report on Mammals, 1857, p. 602. 
Unlike the L. sylvaticus , the Sage Hare is seldom seen in the vicinity of streams, but is 
mostly confined to the hills and “ Bad Lands,” where it finds abundant hiding-places to 
escape from its numerous foes. As we approach the mountains, it becomes very plenty, 
seeming to take the place of L. sylvaticus. It is also abundant on the Sage plains, where 
the thick sage hedges afford it excellent hiding-places. Range: Region west of the Mis¬ 
souri to the Rocky mountains, and to the Cascade mountains of Oregon, along the Colum¬ 
bia in the north, and to the city of Chihuahua in the south. 
