OCR Text |
Show 234 MR. R. S W I N H O E O N T H E M A M M A L S OF HAINAN. [Apr. 28, differently marked, and, instead of having coarse hair, has a soft woolly fur more like that of L. timidus. Indeed it is strange that so warmly clad a species should be found in such low latitudes. Back, shoulders, and rump light yellowish brown, tinged with chestnut and fretted with black, the individual hairs having a band of yellowish and a long tip of black. On the rump the long hairs are closer together, and the black unites to form irregular bands and streaks. Down at root of hairs brownish grey. Round the nose, forehead, between the ears, and cheeks the main colour as above, all fretted more or less with black, the black forming an irregular mark ou the cheek in rear of the eye-line. Anterior edge of eyelids and a patch in front of it white. Ear in front brown, with a few of the hairs tipped with yellowish ; behind pale buff, blackish brown at tip, with a white margin; front borders of ear white. Throat, breast, belly, under tail, and inner surface of hind legs pure white ; inner surface of fore legs less distinctly so. Hind neck light rust-colour, with a broad line of a deeper and richer hue of the same down its centre, making together a conspicuous patch. A broad band of rusty yellowish brown runs across the under neck and chest, sprinkled with a few black hairs; fore legs a richer hue of the same inclining to tile-red. Hind legs brown. Sides of body light chestnut- brown with few black hairs. Soles of feet light dingy brown; nails brown. Tail brownish black on upper surface. Moustache-bristles, some black and some white, and some half and half. In its coloration this species may be at once distinguished from L. sinensis, Gray, by its white throat and much whiter underparts, by its broad nuchal patch and black upper surface of tail, and by the white borders to its ears. The coarse hair on its soles is a dull tawny, and not the bright ferruginous that marks those parts in L. sinensis. Total length about 14 inches ; of tail to tip of hairs 3 ; of fore leg 4*75; of femur 3*75, of tibia to end of toes 3^; of ear 3; breadth of eye *6. Skull much shorter than a skull of L. sinensis of the same age, but of nearly equal breadth, rounding uniformly backwards, and the nasal bones sloping gradually forwards and downwards, giving the head a rounded appearance. Incisive opening above palate narrower at base. Posterior edge of palate with a rounded nasal spine, the same part being smoothly convex in L. sinensis. Occipital bone above the foramen magnum nearly flat, with but a slight central ridge. Supraorbital process small and placed back. Molars smaller and narrower, g^g. Anterior upper incisors without the deep groove which characterizes these teeth in the genus Lepus, but marked with several narrow indistinct ridges. Lower jaw short and high. Incisors ~. Dimensions.-Length from front of incisors to projection of occipital crest 2*85 ; breadth from molar to molar 1*45, between orbits •62 ; from foremost molar to front of incisors *85 ; greatest breadth of brain-case 1 inch ; height of skull (crown to base of lower jaw) 1*80. The peculiar form of the upper incisors in the Hainan Hare is worth |