5'. Ear from notch less than 82 dry (87 fresh); least interorbital breadth less than 26 _Lepus america.n.u.s_, p. 173

2'. Brownish or grayish pelage.

6. Tail blackish or brownish all around (in specimens not having completed molt on tail, white winter pelage may be present); basilar length less than 67 mm.

_Lepus america.n.u.s_, p. 173

6'. Tail partly or wholly white.

7. Tail black on upper surface.

8. Upper sides of hind feet without a trace of white; upper parts tawny.

_Lepus europaeus_, p. 189

8'. Upper sides of hind feet with more or less white or whitish; upper parts grayish or brownish _Lepus californicus_, p. 181

7'. Tail all white or (in some _Lepus townsendii_) with faint buffy or dusky median line on top but this line not extending on to rump (as in _L. californicus_).

9. Geographic range north of a line from Port Simpson, British Columbia, to Halifax, Nova Scotia.

10. Geographic range east of Mackenzie River _Lepus arcticus_, p. 178

10'. Geographic range west of Mackenzie River _Lepus othus_, p. 177

9'. Geographic range south of a line from Port Simpson, British Columbia, to Halifax, Nova Scotia _Lepus townsendii_, p. 180

1'. South of 34 N lat.i.tude.

11. In state of Tamaulipas, Mexico.

_Lepus californicus_, p. 181

11'. Range outside Tamaulipas, Mexico.

12. Ears with terminal black patch (on outside).

_Lepus californicus_ and _Lepus insularis_, pp. 181, 186

12'. Ears without terminal black patch.

13. Ear from notch, dry more than 130 (137 fresh), _Lepus alleni_, p. 188

13'. Ear from notch, dry less than 130 (137 fresh).

14. Nape more or less black.

15. Ears yellow; range Pacific Coastal region of Isthmus of Tehuantepec in southern Oaxaca and Chiapas.

_Lepus flavigularis_, p. 188

15'. Ears dark buff, grayish, white and black; range north of Isthmus of Tehuantepec.

_Lepus callotis_, p. 186

14'. Nape gray or grayish buff.

_Lepus gaillardi_, p. 188

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 44. Distribution of _Lepus america.n.u.s_.

Guide to subspecies:

1. _L. a. dalli_ 2. _L. a. macfarlani_ 3. _L. a. america.n.u.s_ 4. _L. a. pallidus_ 5. _L. a. columbiensis_ 6. _L. a. cascadensis_ 7. _L. a. washingtoni_ 8. _L. a. klamathensis_ 9. _L. a. tahoensis_ 10. _L. a. pineus_ 11. _L. a. oregonus_ 12. _L. a. bairdii_ 13. _L. a. seclusus_ 14. _L. a. phaenotus_ 15. _L. a. struthopus_ 16. _L. a. virginia.n.u.s_ ]

=Lepus america.n.u.s=

American Varying Hare

Total length, 363-520; tail, 25-55; hind foot, 112-150; ear from notch (dry), 62-70. Upper parts brownish or dusky grayish; hind feet brownish or white depending on subspecies; winter pelage white except in certain populations along Pacific Coast; basilar length less than 67; first upper incisors inscribing an arc of a circle the radius of which is less than 9.6 mm. There are two to six young in a litter according to Orr (1940:59).

LEPUS AMERICa.n.u.s AMERICa.n.u.s Erxleben.

1777. [_Lepus_] _america.n.u.s_ Erxleben, Systema Regni Animalis ..., 1:330, type locality Hudson Bay, Canada.

1778. _Lepus hudsonius_ Pallas, Glires, p. 30, type locality not stated.

1790. _Lepus na.n.u.s_ Schreber, Saugethiere, 4:880-885, pl. 234B, a composite of _Lepus america.n.u.s_ and _Sylvilagus florida.n.u.s_. No type or type locality designated. Range given as from Hudson Bay to Florida.

1899. _Lepus bishopi_ J. A. Allen, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., 12:11, March 4, type from Mill Lake, Turtle Mts., North Dakota (inseparable from _L. a. america.n.u.s_ according to V. Bailey, N.

Amer. Fauna, 49:138, January 8, 1927 [not December, 1926]).

_Marginal records_ (Nelson, 1909:89, unless otherwise noted).--Keewatin: Hudson Bay (Anderson, 1947:100). Ontario: Fort Severn (Nelson, 1909:88); around sh.o.r.e of Hudson Bay to approximately 56 N thence to Ungava: Fort Chimo. Labrador: Hamilton Inlet. Ontario: North Bay of Lake Nip.i.s.sing; Michipicoten Island; Isle Royal (Anderson, 1947:100). Manitoba: Dog Lake. Saskatchewan: Indian Head. North Dakota (V. Bailey, 1927:139): Mill Lake, Turtle Mts.; Grafton; "near" Fargo; Elbowoods; Buford. Saskatchewan: Battle Creek (Soper, 1946:149). Alberta: Red Deer; 50 mi. N Edmonton; Fort Chipewyan; Govt. Hay Camp, Slave River (Soper, 1942:140).

LEPUS AMERICa.n.u.s BAIRDII Hayden.

1869. _Lepus bairdii_ Hayden, Amer. Nat., 3:115, May, type locality Columbia Valley, Wind River Mts., Fremont County, Wyoming.

1875. [_Lepus america.n.u.s_] var. _bairdii_, J. A. Allen, Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., 17:431, February 17.

_Marginal records._--British Columbia: Elko (Anderson, 1947:100); Waterton Lakes Nat'l Park (_ibid._). Montana (Nelson, 1909:112): Fort Benton; Big Snowy Mts. Wyoming: 5 mi. E and 9 mi. N Pinedale (15924 KU); 3 mi. ESE Browns Peak (17603 KU). Colorado: Boulder Co.

(Nelson, 1909:112). New Mexico: 10,500 ft., Agua Fria Mtn. (Hill, 1942:82); Pecos Baldy (V. Bailey, 1932:45); Chama (_ibid._). Utah (Durrant, MS unless otherwise noted): 18 mi. SE Manila; _30 mi. N Fort d.u.c.h.esne_; _23 mi. N Fruitland_; 21 mi. N Escalante; 10 mi. E Marysvale; City Creek Canyon, Salt Lake City (Barnes, 1927:145).

Idaho (Dalquest, 1942:181): Pocatello; _Payette_; Cuddy Mtn.; _Weippe_; Bitterroot Valley. _British Columbia: Newgate_ (Anderson, 1947:100).

LEPUS AMERICa.n.u.s CASCADENSIS Nelson.

1907. _Lepus bairdi cascadensis_ Nelson, Proc. Biol. Soc.

Washington, 20:87, December 11, type from Roab's ranch, near Hope, British Columbia.

1935. _Lepus america.n.u.s cascadensis_, Racey and Cowan, Rep't Prov.

Mus. British Columbia, 1935:H28.

_Marginal records_ (Dalquest, 1942:177, unless otherwise noted).--British Columbia: type locality; Fairview-Keremeos Summit (Anderson, 1947:101). Washington: Lake Chelan; Trout Lake; Vance; _Mt. Rainier_; Entiat River, 20 mi. from mouth. British Columbia: Alta Lake.