Genus Lepus Linnaeus—Hares and Jack Rabbits
Revised by Nelson, N. Amer. Fauna, 29:59-158, August 31, 1909. Concerning Shamel's (Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 55:25, May 12, 1942) proposed changes of names for several species, see Hall, Univ. Kansas Publ., Mus. Nat. Hist., 5:45, October 1, 1951.
1758. Lepus Linnaeus, Systema Naturae, ed. 10, 1:57. Type Lepus timidus Linnaeus.
1895. Macrotolagus Mearns, Science, n. s., 1:698, June 21. Type, Lepus alleni Mearns. (See Mearns, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 18:552, June 24, 1896.)
1904. Poecilolagus Lyon, Smiths. Misc. Coll., 45:395, June 15. Type, Lepus americanus Erxleben.
1904. Lagos Palmer. N. Amer. Fauna, 23:361, January 23. Type, Lepus arcticus Ross. Lagos J. Brooks, a catalogue of the anatomical and zoological museum, pt. 1, p. 54, July, 1828, appears to be a nomen nudum.
1911. Boreolepus Barrett-Hamilton, History of the British Mammalia, pt. 9, p. 160, November 17. Type, Lepus groenlandicus Rhoads. (For status see Sutton and Hamilton, Mem. Carnegie Mus., 12 (pt. 2, sec. 1):78, August 4, 1932; also A. H. Howell, Jour. Mamm., 17:331, November 16.)
Total length, 363-664; tail, 25-112; hind foot, 112-189; ear from notch (dry), 62-144. Upper parts grayish, brownish or black; interparietal bone fused to surrounding bones; cervical vertabrae long, 2nd and 3rd being longer than wide; transverse processes of lumbar vertabrae long, the longest one equal to the length of the centrum to which it is attached plus half of the length of the preceding centrum; free extremity of transverse process of lumbar vertebra considerably expanded; distance from anterior edge of acetabulum to extreme anterior point of ilium less than distance from former point to most distant point of ischium; ulna reduced in size along middle part of shaft, and, excepting the lower extremity, placed almost entirely behind radius.
All members of the genus Lepus are technically hares, as these are defined in the account of the family Leporidae. The largest members of the order Lagomorpha are members of the genus Lepus. No domestic strains have been developed but effort in this direction might be profitable, in as much as the so-called Belgian hares of the related genus, Oryctolagus, have done well in captivity.
In the past it has been customary to recognize two or more subgenera of the genus Lepus. The species are a less diverse lot than those in some other genera, however, and it seems that no useful purpose is served by recognizing subgenera. Accordingly, the several names proposed for this purpose are arranged here as synonyms of the generic name Lepus Linnaeus.