384 University of California Publications in Zoology [VoL 24

Lepus americanus columbiensis Rhoads.
British Columbia Varying Hare

Twenty-two specimens collected (nos. 32765-32786) : sixteen sum-
mer adults (skins with skulls), four juveniles, one skeleton (without
skin), and one flat winter skin without skull (the gift of an acquaint-
ance). This series seems with fair certainty to belong to the sub-
species columbiensis (though collected far north of the known range
of that form), judging from the characterization of the northwestern
hares given by Nelson (1909), and from the appearance of a single
specimen (no. 33412), an adult female, taken at Vernon (the type
locality of columbiensis), November 6, 1922. Specimens from the
Hazelton region are essentially like this topotype of columbiensis, due
allowance being made for seasonal difference. The Skeena Valley
hares are small for macfarlani, occurring immediately to the north-
ward (see table of measurements), and, also, in summer pelage the
feet are brown. According to Nelson (on. cit., pp. 49, 50, 86), in
macfarlani the feet in summer pelage are white, in columbiensis they
are brown.

Considerable field work and study is still required to arrive at ax
understanding of the distribution of the species of Lepus in British
Columbia. Thus, the type locality of Lepus americanus columbiensis
is Vernon, British Columbia. Nelson records L. a. columbiensis from
Vernon (1909, p. 104), and L. bairdi cascadensis from ‘Okanagan’
(op. cit., p. 114). Vernon and Okanagan are practically the same
locality, Vernon being the principal town in the Okanagan Valley.
There is no town of Okanagan, though there is a locality called
Okanagan Landing some four miles south of Vernon. Thus Nelson
in his text has L. bairdi cascadensis and L. americanus columbiensis
oceurring at the same place; in the map of the ranges of these animals
(op. cit., p. 85, fig. 8) they are not shown to overlap. If the two forms
actually do oceur together in any one locality it is a matter of some
importance, as bearing upon their specific distinction (see Nelson,
op. cit., pp. 84, 85).

There is at hand a specimen of Lepus (no. 32789), an adult female,
collected by the writer near Okanagan Landing, October 1, 1921, that
differs in color and skull from the Hazelton hares and from the
specimen from Vernon referred to above, and it is apparently Lepus
bairdi. cascadensis. There may be local differences of environment