The times., 1901-03-10
ANOTHER new RABBIT
A Novel Species Found on Mount
POpOcatapetel.
Resembles i'm Size and Movement N
large Mouse Rat-A Scientist
Tells of the Method of Its DiscOv-
cry Comment by AN Expert.

An extraordinary species of rabbit has
been found high up on Mount Pop0cata-
petel, Mexico, at and above an altitude
OF 5000 metres approximately 1900 feep.
This singular animal has exceedingly
short hind legs, and instead of moving by
q series of leaps like ordinary rabbits,
runs along on all fours 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-
catepete l learned that these little rab-
bits were found there, and on my return
to the city of Mexico, l prepared for an
expedition to secure them. on January ;,
1894, my assistant, Mr.. e. A. Goldman,
and | made our camp the side of a
canyon at an altitude of about 1850 me-
tres O1000 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 Iuxuriant 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
to hunt the vicinity carefully for them
Upon the first day of this sort OF work
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. 1t was too near
to shoot, and so it escaped after looking
at me with enquiring eyes for few mo-
ments. The following evening ! shot one
by taking a stand on large log. whence
| could see several small openings in the
grass, and saw one as IT stopped a mo
Tnent at the entrance Of a runaway. By
persistent hunting for three days my IN
dams secured three more.
ION 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 ana
three fine specimens were taken IN a
small area a 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 10000 to l2,000
feet. / found them equally numerous IN
]
hlllsides ana 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, ana
stems. and then following out snug re-
treats within the Weather-proOt shelters
! thus obtained Their concealed runawayS
| were intermingled with those of the COM
mon meadow mice of the mountains and
! the striking resemblance in coloration 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. My 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 SnithSonl-
an Institution, in commenting on the dis
| cUVery, said
| This is the most extraordiary variety
| of rabbit that has ever come under my
! notice II is very small and, in fact, re-
/ sembles in some respects rat. notably
! in its method of going over the ground.
| | NAV remark that. ordinarily, the md
| Ing OF a new kind of rabbit is not. in it
| self extraordinary. l am constantly in
| receipt Of specimens of varieties hitherto
! UnclaSsihed, although thelr uiIertlCe
! from the well-kuOwn kinds may be very
| slight I got the other day so-called
| horned rabbit which was sent me as a
! monstrosity 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 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 new va
| rietV or species.