The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-10
ANOTHER new RABBIT
"A Novel Species Found on Mount
POpOcatapetel.
Resembles in Size and Movement n
Large Mouse RATA Scientist
Tells of the Method of Its Discoy
cry Comment by an Expert,

| An extraordinary species of rabbit ha 5
| been found high up on Mount Popocata-
| petel Mexico, at and above an altitude
of 5000 metres approximately 10. 900 feet.
This singular animal has exceedingly
short hind legs. and instead of moving by
series of leaps like ordinary rabbits,
runs along on all tours and lives in run
aways in the grass like the Meadow mice.
Mr. T. w. Nelson who discovered this
new species in the world of mammals.
says: 'On my first visit to Mount Popo-
catepetel l learned that these little rab-
bits We're found there, and on my return
to the city OF Mexico, l prepared for an
expedition to secure them. on January 5,
1891, my assistant Mr. L. A. Goldman,
and l made our camp on the side of a
canyon at an altitude of about 1850 me-
tres Q1.OoO feet on the northwest slope
of the mountain. We we're accompanied
by three Indian hunters and our packer
Among the frs and alders at this altitude
the northerly slopes of the hills and can
yons are covered with a luxuriant growth
of succaton grass in huge punches, from
three to six feet across, and often reach
Ing a height of six or eight feet This
covers the ground in such manner that
the only open spaces are small spots scat
tered irregularly here and there. A
search under the overhanging masses of
long grass blades showed a perfect net
work of large runaways tunneling
through the bases of the tussocks, and
passing from one to another under the
shelter of the outcurving masses of
leaves
1t was evident that the rabbits were
very numerous here, and we all proceeded
Upon the first day of this sort of work l
saw three, but was unable to get shot
at them. One came running through the
grass along one of the hidden trails and
seeing me stopped In a little opening only
seven or eight feet away. IL was too near
to shoot, and so it escaped after looking
at me with enquirfng eyes for few mo-
ments. The following evening ] shot one
by taking stand on large log. whence
| could see several small openings in the
grass, and saw one as 1t stopped a mo-
ment at the entrance of n runaway. BY
persistent hunting for three days my In
dams secured three more
"On our first night snares were set with
out success, so the next night we put out
a lot Of steel traps in the runaways This
latter method was very successful, and
small area few yards across. So far as
observed, these animals are strictly limit
ed to the heavy growth of succaton grass,
between a height of from zoe to u 900
feet. | found them equally numerous in
the heavy grass on canyon slopes and
hlllsideS ara in the dense growth Of grass
about the sides of the small park-like
openings in the forest. They make their
forms within the matted bases of the
huge grass, tussocks by tunneling passage
ways along the surface of the ground,
through the mass of old grass leaves and
stems, and then following out snug re-
treats vii hin the weather-proof shelters
thus obtai led. Their concealed runaways
were int. mingled with those of the COM
..TN IT, a
the strikins, resemblance in coIoration and
habits between the two animals was re-
markable. Like the arvicOlas, the rabbits
are mainly nocturnal. but are found occa
sionally moving about by day. They be-
come more active just at dusk. and on
frosty mornings sometimes come out at
sunrise into the small openings among the
gress to baSk in the warmth. NY Indian
hunters claimed that they often found
them out summing themselves in this way
on summer afternoons after cold, heavy
showers
Prof Miller. Assistant Chief of the De-
partment of Mammals at the SmithSoni-
an Institution, in commenting on the dis
coNery, said:
This is the most extraordinary variety
of rabbit that has ever come under my
notice. 1t is very small and, in fact. re-
SembleS In some respects a rat, notably |
in its method of going over the ground. |
may remark that ordinarily. the find
ing of a new kind of rabbit is not. in it |
self, extraordinary. | am constantly in |
receipt of specimens of varieties hitherto |
unclassifed, although their difference |
from the well-known kinds may be very |
slight. | got the other day a sO-called |
horned rabbit which was sent me as a |
OF course the horns are |
nothing more than the effect of a dis
ease of the skin. occurring sometimes. |
though rarely. in the human species, |
These horns are actually what their |
name implies. being a growth of hair |
(Which is nothing more than horn fused |
into a thick and solid mass Such an |
appearance produces often a most gro
tesque effect, as in the rabbit | have al |
luded to; but it does not imply a new va
riety or species.