1898.] BA'RR^TT-liAMit,TO'N.—/7i^roduc^zo7i of Hares. 75 



of the two, has driven the other out of the European plain 

 into the mountains. This supposition is further supported by 

 the behaviour of the two species in Scotland, where their 

 respective ranges meet. 



"The Brown Hare and the White Hare in Scotland, "^ writes Mr. 

 Harvie-Brown, " rarely are found upon the same kind of ground, the 

 Brown Hare being quite an inhabitant of agricultural and wooded low- 

 land areas. A few Brown Hares are found in higher-l3dng cultivated 

 valle3-s, but rarely or never increase in such localities. Our low-land 

 moors, such as the central hills of Stirlingshire, and the lower grouse 

 moors, hold Brown Hares to the exclusion or almost exclusion of the 

 White or Blue Hare. We have a few Blue Hares here as low down as 

 600 feet, but they don't increase, and, indeed, they disappear from time 

 to time. The two kinds of ground are suited to the two species, and 

 neither s])ecies obtrudes itself to any extent upon the other's territory 

 except in excessively severe and snowy winters like 1894-95, or 

 excessively dry and warm summers like 1893.'' 



At all events Dr. ScharfPs suggestion provides a very good 

 working hypothesis, which may be fairly taken to explain the 

 distribution of the two species of hares in Europe until some 

 better one is forthcoming. I expect, however, that the anta- 

 gonism between the two species may not have been an active 

 one, but that the Brown Hare simply crowded the Blue Hare 

 out, except in localities such as those found on higher and 

 barer ground, which are unsuited to it. In localities, such as 

 islands, where there are no Brown Hares, the Blue Hares are 

 found at sea level, as in the Hebrides and Ireland, and in the 

 absence of the other species, hold their own well. In the 

 South of Scotland, as I am informed by Mr. Robert Service^ 

 they have been introduced, and were still increasing their 

 range when he wrote {vide infra). 



In conclusion, it may be interesting to give some notes on 

 the results of introductions of the Irish Hare into Great 

 Britain, or of the Scotch Mountain Hare into Ireland or Wales. 



Introduction of Irish Hares into Great Britain. 



Irish Hares have been successfully introduced into the Island of Mull, 

 where it is said that there were originally no native hares. Here they 

 thrive very well side by side with hares from the mainland of Scotland. 

 For these and other interesting particulars as to hares in Scotland, I am 

 indebted to the kindness of Messrs. C. H. Ackroyd, J. A. Harvie-Brown, 

 T. B. Buckley, and Robert Service.^ 



1 1n lit. of July, 1895. ' In lit. of November i8th, 1895. 



» See also "A Vertebrate Fauna of Argyll and the Inner Hebrides," 



pp. 41-44- 



