ICO H A R E. Class I. 



but in the night takes a circuit in fearch of food, 

 always returning through the fame meufes, or pafles. 



Color, The color approaches very near to that of the 

 ground ^ which fccures it more effedually from the 

 fight of men, and of beafts and birds of prey. Pro- 

 vidence has been fo careful in refpedl to the pre- 

 fervation of the fpecies of animals, as to caufe in 

 northern countries thefe as well as many others 

 to chang-e color, and become white at the beorin- 

 ning of winter, to render them lefs confpicuous 

 amidft the fnow. Accidental inftances of white 

 hares are met with in South Britain, 



Hares differ much in fize. The fmallefl are in 

 the ifle of Hay : the largeft in that of Man^ where 

 fome have been found to weigh twelve pounds. 



Food. Its food is entirely vegetable ♦, and it does great 



injury to nurferies of young trees, by eating the 

 bark off: it is particularly fond of pinks, parlley, 

 and birch. 



The hare never pairs ; but in the rutting feafon, 

 which begins in February^ the male purfues and dif- 

 covers the female, by the fagacity of its nofe. The 

 female goes with young one month, brings ufually 

 two young at a time •, fometimes three, and very 

 rarely four. Sir l^homas Brown^ in his treatife on 

 vulgar errors *, aflerts thedo6lrineof fuperfetation : 

 i. e. a conception upon conception, or an im- 

 provement on the firft fruit before the fecond is ex- 



* P. ii8. 



eluded 5 



