328 BIRDS, BEASTS, AND FISHES 



creatures ; for though it is well known that the biggest enemy 

 to wheat is wheat (when it grows too thickly), still the hare 

 is a pretty formidable enemy, and when the corn is up, you 

 may look in vain on the marshes for hares — they all get into 

 the corn. Even the keeper of a good game-preserve does 

 not grudge the hares being killed, for he can't look after 

 them — an he would. 



You can easily decoy hares from one marsh to another by 

 placing carrots about ; but there is no surety they will stay 

 there. They are uncertain and wandering creatures. But 

 one thing is certain, that you might as well turn a flock of 

 sheep into some fields as a flock of hares. 



When harvest is over, the hares draw to the covers and 

 plantings round the broads; but they begin to leave them 

 as soon as the leaves fall, and draw back to the marshes to 

 their cosy forms in the rush tussocks, where you may find 

 them at the beginning of winter. And it may be remarked 

 here that they do not scrape a hole in their tussocky haunts 

 as they do on a field, for there is no need to crouch flat with 

 the earth when you have tall rushes growing over you. 

 When they take to the marshes again, their habits become 

 more regular. They have regular routes they frequent, 

 often going long distances, and stopping out a day or two 

 in some temporary form en route. In these highways the 

 " looking-glasses " are set by the needy marshmen. 



When the marshland becomes covered with snow, and the 

 dikes are laid, they may be found in snowy forms — really 

 snow-houses. Should you disturb them, they will gallop 

 away, and try to throw you off the scent by making long 

 side leaps before they squat down. And in this manner 

 they may easily take you in, and leave you thinking them 

 lost. 



At this season they often get drowned, for they will 

 start to walk a frozen dike, the thin glaze gives way, and 

 they take to swimming, breaking the ice as they go. Some- 

 times they get across safely, but at other times they grow 



