| OCR Text |
Show 1890.] MR. O. THOMAS ON MAMMALS FROM VERA CRUZ. 75 Apparently allied to L. sylvaticus, but markedly larger, with longer ears, and much duller in general colour. Fur very soft, markedly softer than in the ordinary southern forms of L. sylvaticus. General colour dirty yellowish or greyish, without rufous, except on the nape, the light subterminal rings on the hairs uniformly pale cream-colour. Pace grizzled greyish yellow, the light area round the eye well-marked, pale cream-colour. Ears about as long as the head, their backs thinly haired, grey, the extreme tips and outer edges darkening to black, but not more prominently so than in L. sylvaticus. Inner surfaces dull yellow, this colour not visible along the edges of the ear. Nape dull pale rufous. Underfur of back slaty basally, dull brown terminally; longer hairs black, with a cream-coloured subterminal ring. Sides gradually becoming yellowish towards the belly; under surface dirty yellowish grey, the line of demarcation not marked at all. The belly-hairs themselves are pale slaty basally, and dull yellowish terminally, while there are scarcely any white-tipped hairs present. On the chin, however, the hairs are white-tipped. Fore limbs dull orange-yellow, their posterior sides scarcely lighter ; fore feet about as hairy as in ordinary Mexican L. sylvaticus. Hind limbs dull orange-grey externally, gradually becoming more fulvous to the heels ; their inner edges, the pale line along the groin in front of the hip, and the upper surfaces of the hind feet dull yellow, not white. Tail rather short, greyish brown above, the hairs both here and on the rump in front of it slaty basally, and yellowish brown terminally ; under surface pure white. Skull readily distinguishable from that of L. sylvaticus by its greater size. Postorbital processes pressed against the sides of the brain-case at their tips posteriorly, but free at their bases. Interparietal triangular, its antero-posterior nearly two thirds its transverse diameter. Occipital shelf unusually broad. Anterior edge of palatal bridge level with the front of the anterior premolar, and its hinder edge level with the division between the last premolar and the first molar. Measurements (approximate-from a dried skin) :-Head and body 460 millim.; tail, without hairs 32, with hairs 43 ; hind foot, without claws 94, with claws 104 ; ears, above crown, 90. Skull-Greatest length (occiput to gnathion) 85, basal length 69'5, greatest breadth 39 ; nasals, length 36, breadth, anteriorly 10, posteriorly 15 ; interorbital breadth, including supraorbital ridges, 19-4, intertemporal breadth, internal to processes, 13 ; interparietal, length 5*3, breadth 8*7 ; occipital shelf, breadth 11*6 ; diastema 23#4 ; palatine foramina, length 20*4 ; least breadth of palatal bridge 9 2 ; length of upper tooth-series, crowns only, 14; basi-cranial axis 22 ; basi-facial axis 52. Lower jaw-length, bone only, 65, to incisor-tips 68; height from condyle to antero-inferior corner of angular ridge 43 ; length of the ridge 31. It is with much hesitation that I presume to add to the long list of described American Leporidae, but L. verce-crucis seems so distinct from any known form that there appears to be no alternative. |
