_S. a. neomexicanus_. The large size, which may have induced
Nelson to refer the specimen to _S. a. cedrophilus_, is not surprising
considering that the individual is a female and fully adult. A
combination of new and old fur on the upper parts presents a pattern
that might be duplicated in other specimens of _S. a. neomexicanus_. The
lateral inflation of the tympanic bullae can be interpreted as
intergradation with the geographically adjacent _S. a. minor_ to the
south; _S. a. minor_ has large bullae. There are no features otherwise
which suggest that the specimen is anything other than _Sylvilagus
audubonii neomexicanus_ and we refer it to that subspecies.

Sylvilagus audubonii minor Mearns

1896. _Lepus arizonae minor_ Mearns, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., 18:557,
June 24.

1907. _S[ylvilagus]. a[uduboni]. minor_, Nelson, Proc. Biol. Soc.
Washington, 20:83, July 22.

Nelson (N. Amer. Fauna, 29:230, August 31, 1909) listed, without
comment, under _Sylvilagus audubonii cedrophilus_ Nelson, a skin with
skull inside (Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., 5419, [female] adult or sub-adult)
from San Diego, Chihuahua, Mexico. We locate San Diego approximately 230
miles south and 60 miles east of El Paso, Texas. Thus, the specimen is
from near the center of the geographic range of _Sylvilagus audubonii
minor_. With the permission of Mr. G.G. Goodwin of the American Museum
of Natural History we removed the skull. It differs in no essential
features from those of other specimens of _S. a. minor_. For example, of
specimens in the United States National Museum, Biological Surveys
Collection, a female (No. 132002) from Guzman in Chihuahua, and a male
(No. 51020) from Santa Rosalia in the same state, are almost
indistinguishable from the San Diegan specimen. The specimen is without
external measurements but the length of the hind foot and length of ear
from the notch in the dry state (80 and 57, respectively) agree with the
corresponding measurements of _S. a. minor_. Color of the skin furnishes
no diagnostic character as between _S. a. minor_ and _S. a.
cedrophilus_. We identify the specimen from San Diego as _Sylvilagus
audubonii minor_.

_Transmitted January 30, 1951._

24-7436

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Comments on the Taxonomy and
Geographic Distribution of Some North American Rabbits, by E. Raymond Hall and Keith R. Kelson

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