Natural History of the Mammalia of India and Ceylon Part 72

The Indian hare is by no means so good for the table as the European one, being dry and tasteless, and hardly worth cooking.

NO. 408. LEPUS NIGRICOLLIS.

_The Black-naped Hare_ (_Jerdon's No. 208_).

NATIVE NAMES.--_Khargosh_, Hindi; _Malla_, Canarese; _Sa.s.sa_, Mahrathi; _Musal_, Tamil; _Kundali_, Telegu; _Haba_, Singhalese.

HABITAT.--Southern India and Ceylon; stated to be found also in Sind and the Punjab.

DESCRIPTION.--"Upper part rufescent yellow, mottled with black; single hairs annulated yellow and black; chin, abdomen, and inside of hind-limbs downy white; a black velvety spot on the occiput and upper part of neck extending to near the shoulders; the spot under the neck is in some specimens of a bright yellow colour; ears long, greyish-brown, internally with white fringes, at the apical part dusky, posteriorly black at the base; feet yellowish; tail above grizzled with black and yellow, beneath white."--_Kellaart_.

SIZE.--Head and body, 19 inches; tail, 2-1/2 inches; ears, 4-3/4 inches.

A friend of Brigadier-General McMaster's, writing to him, says: "The black-naped hare of the Neilgherries, which appears to be the same as that of the plains, only larger from the effect of climate, often, when chased by dogs, runs into holes and hollow trees. I have found some of the Neilgherry hares to be nearly, if not quite, equal to the English hares in flavour. I think a great deal depends upon keeping and cooking."

NO. 409. LEPUS PEGUENSIS.

_The Pegu Hare_.

NATIVE NAME.--_Yung_, Arakanese.

HABITAT.--Pegu, Burmah.

DESCRIPTION.--Very like _L. ruficaudatus_, but with the tail _black_ above; the colour of the upper parts is separated more distinctly from the pure white of the under parts.

SIZE.--Head and body, about 20 inches.

NO. 410. LEPUS HYPSIBIUS.

_The Mountain Hare_.

HABITAT.--Northern Ladakh.

DESCRIPTION.--Colour rufous brown, more or less mixed with black on the back, dusky ashy on the rump; lower parts white with a slight rufescent tinge, fur long, woolly, rather curly, and thick; head brown, whitish round the eyes; whiskers partly black, partly white; outside surface of ears brown in front, whitish behind, the brown hairs having short black tips; the extreme tip of ears black; tail white; throughout limbs chiefly white, a brownish band running down the anterior portion of the fore-legs.

SIZE.--Of skin about 24 inches. (_See_ Blanford's 'Second Yarkand Mission,' p. 60; also plate iii.)

NO. 411. LEPUS PALLIPES.

_The Pale-footed Hare_.

NATIVE NAMES.--_Togh_, _Toshkhen_, _Yarkandi_, i.e. Mountain Hare.

HABITAT.--Yarkand; Thibet.

DESCRIPTION.--"Fur long, dense and soft, of a pale ochre colour, but on the back of the animal pencilled with black; haunches greyish; under-parts white, chest of a delicate yellow rufous tint; the front of the fore-legs and the fore-feet nearly of the same hue; tarsus almost white, but somewhat suffused with rufous in front; tail white, excepting along the middle portion of the upper surface, where it is grey."--Waterhouse's 'Mammalia,' vol. ii. p. 62.

SIZE.--Head and body, about 18 inches; tail, with hair about 5 inches.

This hare was first described by Hodgson ('J. A. S. B.,' vol. xi.), who also gave a plate; but there is a full description with an excellent plate in Blanford's 'Scientific Results of the Second Yarkand Mission.'

NO. 412. LEPUS TIBETa.n.u.s.

_The Thibet Hare_.

HABITAT.--Little Thibet; Ladakh.

DESCRIPTION.--Ears longer than the head, margined with yellow white internally, externally, with the apex, edged with black and with a narrow edging of black extending about half-way down the hinder margin. The general colour seems to vary, as is the case with most of the mountain hares. According to Waterhouse it is "palish-ashy grey; the back mottled with dusky and yellowish-white; the back of neck pale rufous brown." Two specimens, described by Blanford, are "general colour rufous brown (very dark brownish tawny)," and another, "above dusky brown, with an ashy tinge on the rump."

Waterhouse's specimens may have been in the winter dress; the under-parts are white; legs longish and white; tail white, with the upper surface sooty or grey-black. The excellent plate in the Yarkand Report is nearer to Waterhouse's verbal portraiture, being of a mottled ashy grey.

SIZE.--Head and body, about 18 inches; tail, with hair, 4-1/2 inches.

NO. 413. LEPUS YARKANDENSIS.

_The Yarkand Hare_.

NATIVE NAME.--_Toshkhan_, Yarkandi.

HABITAT.--The plains of Yarkand and Kashghar.

DESCRIPTION.--General colour sandy, more or less mixed with dusky; pale isabelline on the sides; no grey on rump; tail dark brown above; ears without black tip; lower parts white; fur soft and long; fore-legs very pale, brown in front; hind-legs still paler, brown outside.

SIZE.--Head and body, about 17 inches; tail, 4 inches.

Mr. Blanford remarks that "one striking peculiarity of this very pale coloured hare is the absence of any black patches, and of all grey coloration throughout." The specimens were all shot in winter too.

(_See_ Blanford's 'Scientific Results, Second Yarkand Mission,' p.

65, and plate iv., fig. 1.)

NO. 414. LEPUS PAMIRENSIS.

_The Pamir Hare_.

HABITAT.--Lake Sirikal, Pamir.

DESCRIPTION.--Pale sandy brown; almost isabelline on back and sides; rump greyish-white; tail black above; face and anterior portion of the ears concolorous with back; terminal portion of ears black outside at the edge; breast light rufous; lower parts white; fur fine, close and soft; fore-legs in front, and hind-legs outside, with a light brownish tinge.

SIZE.--Head and body, about 17 inches; tail, 4 inches.

The hare is described and named by Mr. W. T. Blanford, and from his full description I have abridged the above short notice. It is also well figured in the 'Yarkand Report,' plate v., fig. 1.

NO. 415. LEPUS STOLICZKa.n.u.s.

_Stoliczka's Hare_.

HABITAT.--Kashghar, Altum Artush district, north-east of Kashghar.

DESCRIPTION.--"General colour light sandy brown, much mixed with black on the back; the rump very little paler; tail rather long, black above; face and anterior portion of ears the same colour as the back; terminal portion of ears black outside; nape and breast light rufous; lower parts white. The skull differs much from that of _L.

Yarkandensis_ and _L. Pamirensis_, the nasals being much more abruptly truncated behind than in either, and the parietal region or sinciput flatter" (Blanford's 'Scientific Results, Second Yarkand Mission,' p. 69, and plate v. fig. 2, skull plate, Va. fig.

2).