Date: 1/17/13 12:27 pm
From: Harry Armistead <harryarmistead...>
Subject: [MDBirding] Smith Island unique rabbit



SMITH ISLAND, VIRGINIA, UNIQUE RABBIT.

Though to be extinct is the Hitchens�s Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus hitchensi), a race of Eastern Cottontail known only from a few specimens from Smith and Fisherman islands, Virginia. I don�t know much about trinomials but wonder if it shouldn�t be floridianus hitchensii? But who am I to question Mearns?

Named by Edgar A. Mearns, the Mearns of the Mearns Quail, in Proceedings of the U. S. National Museum, vol. 39, no. 1784, pp. 227-230, �Description of a new rabbit from islands off the coast of Virginia.�

This rabbit is named after Capt. George D. Hitchens who was �commanding the life-saving station at Smiths Island� (p. 227).

Many of you have spent time on Smith and Fisherman islands, especially as participants of the Cape Charles Christmas Bird Count, 1965-2012. Please let me know if you may have seen any cottontails (and when). Several recent surveys have not turned any up.

This race is thought to have become extinct either because of high water events and/or myxomatosis, a disease spread by pox viruses that affects wild and domestic rabbits.

I am indebted to Curtis Badger, Barry Truitt, and Raymond Dueser for information on this. I�d heard rumors about there being a unique rabbit subspecies out there. Their helpful information confirmed this.

Six specimens were collected from 1897 to 1910 by William Palmer, Charles W. Richmond, Edgar A. Mearns, and J. H. Riley (skull only for the latter collector).

In measurements of 9 different features hitchensi was slightly larger in all 9 than mallurus race individuals collected from Raleigh, NC.

Please forward this to anyone who might be helpful. Thanks.

I lack e-mail addresses for Rick Kellam and Peter Pyle. Wayne, whoops, your name got in their my mistake & I don't want to have to crank in all the addresses again.

Best to all. � Harry Armistead, Philadelphia.

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