Part 4

Lepus alleni alleni Mearns Lepus alleni palitans Bangs Lepus alleni tiburonensis Townsend Lepus gaillardi gaillardi Mearns Lepus gaillardi battyi J.A. Allen Lepus callotis Wagler Lepus flavigularis Wagner Lepus californicus altamirae Nelson Lepus californicus melanotis Mearns Lepus californicus merriami Mearns Lepus californicus asellus Miller Lepus californicus festinus Nelson Lepus californicus texianus Waterhouse

MEASUREMENTS (IN MILLIMETERS) OF ADULTS OF TWO SUBSPECIES OF LEPUS CALIFORNICUS

Key: A Total length G Breadth of rostrum above premolars B Tail-vertebrae H Depth of rostrum in front of premolars C Hind foot I Interorbital breadth D Ear from notch in dried skin J Parietal breadth E Basilar length K Diameter of bulla F Length of nasals --------------------------------------------------------------------------

L. c. curti, type locality (K.U.)

A B C D E F G H I J K [Female] 35470 565 55 125 115 72.0 37.1 25.9 21.2 27.4 29.8 13.5 [Female] 35471 566 57 122 122 72.8 39.0 25.5 22.0 26.2 29.2 13.9 [Female] 35472 520 50 115 105 69.5 38.6 26.0 19.0 24.4 30.2 13.5 [Female] 35473 587 53 124 118 72.0 40.9 26.7 22.2 27.4 29.0 13.0 Average 560 54 122 115 71.6 38.9 26.0 21.1 26.4 29.6 13.5 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- L. c. altamirae, type locality (U.S.N.M., Biol. Surv. Coll.)

A B C D E F G H I J K 93691 605 96 137 112 76.5 44.5 26.6 24.6 .... 32.0 13.0 [Female] 93692 595 71 137 114 77.1 42.5 26.3 23.1 27.0 29.5 13.4 93693 590 93 137 110 77.8 43.8 27.6 22.5 27.2 30.7 14.2 [Female] 93694 605 70 142 118 78.0 45.9 26.8 23.4 28.7 32.0 14.3 92982 556 59 136 114 75.9 46.5 26.1 22.3 25.8 .... 14.0 Average 590 78 138 114 77.1 44.6 26.7 23.2 27.2 31.1 13.8 --------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. In each specimen of L. c. curti the length of the ear measured from the notch when the animal was in the flesh was eight millimeters more than in the dried skin.

The cranial measurements given above are taken, in so far as possible, in the same way that the measurements recorded by Nelson in his North American Fauna (No. 29, 1909) were taken. In that publication he records mostly average measurements but he records also some measurements of individual specimens. Two of these specimens are the holotypes of Sylvilagus mansuetus Nelson and Romerolagus nelsoni Merriam. By attempting to duplicate Nelson's measurements on these specimens, the following opinions were formed.

"Basilar length" is basilar length of Hensel and the anterior point probably was the posterior border of the alveolus of incisor two. There is some evidence of lack of consistency with respect to the anterior control point.

"Length of nasals" is the overall length, of the two nasal bones, but in Romerolagus the shorter (right) nasal alone seems to have been measured.

"Breadth of rostrum above premolars" is easily duplicated in Lepus but in Sylvilagus the control points are difficult to find. Two other persons and I obtained three different measurements, all different from Nelson's measurements, and we thought that Nelson would have obtained different measurements by measuring the same specimen of Sylvilagus at different times.

"Depth of rostrum in front of premolars" seems to have been taken perpendicular to the inferior longitudinal line of the rostrum, approximately one-half millimeter anterior to the alveolus of the anteriormost cheek tooth.

"Interorbital breadth" was taken across the supraorbital processes, at the narrowest place, but not from the notches medial to the antorbital projections of the supraorbital processes.

"Parietal breadth" is the breadth, across the braincase, taken approximately half way between the squamosal root of the zygoma and the external auditory meatus, where there is a lateral bulge in the squamosal bone. On each side of the skull, the calipers rest on the squamosal bone, not on the parietal bone.

"Diameter of bullae" excludes the paroccipital process and was taken from the anteriormost part of a tympanic bulla, posterolaterally to the part of that same bulla, that is exposed at the lateral side of the base of the paroccipital process.

Specimens examined.--Total, four, all from Tamaulipas, Mexico, as follows: 88 mi. S and 10 mi. W Matamoros, 3; 90 mi. S and 10 mi. W Matamoros, 1.

Transmitted February 20, 1951.

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