the length of that of the second
dorsal vertebra.

_Ninth and tenth dorsal vertebrae._--In the wild rabbit the neural spine
of the ninth vertebra is just perceptibly thicker than that of the
eighth; and {122} the neural spine of the tenth is plainly thicker and
shorter than those of all the anterior vertebrae. In the large lop-cared
rabbits the neural spines of the tenth, ninth, eighth, and even in a
slight degree that of the seventh vertebra, are very much thicker, and
of somewhat different shape, in comparison with those of the wild
rabbit. So that this part of the vertebral column differs considerably
in appearance from the same part in the wild rabbit, and closely
resembles in an interesting manner these same vertebrae in some species
of hares. In the Angora, Chinchilla, and Himalayan rabbits, the neural
spines of the eighth and ninth vertebrae are in a slight degree thicker
than in the wild. On the other hand, in one of the feral Porto Santo
rabbits, which in most of its characters deviates in an exactly
opposite manner to what the large lop-cared rabbits do from the common
wild rabbit, the neural spines of the ninth and tenth vertebrae were not
at all larger than those of the several anterior vertebrae. In this same
Porto Santo specimen there was no trace in the ninth vertebra of the
anterior lateral processes (see woodcut 14), which are plainly
developed in all British wild rabbits, and still more plainly developed
in the large lop-eared rabbits. In a half-wild rabbit from Sandon
Park,[272] a haemal spine was moderately well developed on the under
side of the twelfth dorsal vertebra, and I have seen this in no other
specimen.

[Illustration: Fig. 14.--Dorsal Vertebrae, from sixth to tenth
inclusive, of natural size, viewed laterally. A. Wild Rabbit. B. Large,
Hare-coloured, so called Spanish Rabbit.]

[Illustration: Fig. 15.--Terminal bone of Sternum, of natural size. A.
Wild Rabbit. B. Hare-coloured, Lop-eared Rabbit. C. Hare-coloured,
Spanish Rabbit. (N.B. The left-hand angle of the upper articular
extremity of B was broken, and has been accidentally thus
represented.)]

_Lumbar vertebrae._--I have stated that in two cases there were eight
instead of seven lumbar vertebrae. The third lumbar vertebra in one
skeleton of a wild British rabbit, and in one of the Porto S