On the Northern Hare. 377 



As an article of food, tliis is the most indifferent of all our 

 species of hares; its flesh is hard, dry, almost juiceless, posses- 

 sino- none of the flavour of the Eno-Hsh hare, and mnch inferior to 

 that of our gray rabbit. Epicures, however, who often regard as 

 dainties dishes that are scarce, and who, by the skilful application 

 of the culinary art, possess means of rendering things savoury 

 that are of themselves insipid, may dispute this point with us. 



The northern hare, as is proverbially the case with all the 

 species, has many enemies. It is pursued by men and dogs, by 

 carniverous beasts of the forest, by eagles, by hawks, and by owls. 

 In the northern parts of Maine, in Canada, and in the countries 

 farther north, their most formidable enemies are the Canada 

 lynx (Lynx Canadensis,) the jer falcon [Falco IslancUcus,) and 

 the snowy owl (Surnea nyctea) In the New England States, 

 however, and in New York, the red-tailed hawk, [Burteo horealis) 

 is occasionally seen with one of these species in its talons. But 

 its most formidable enemy is the great horned owl (^Bubo Virgi- 

 niajius.) We have also, on one occasion, observed a common 

 house-cat dragging a full-grown northern hare from the woods, 

 to feed her young. Lads on their way to school entrap them 

 with snares attached to a bent twig, placed along the paths they 

 nightly resort to. The hunter finds recreation in pursuing them 

 with hounds, whilst he places himself in some wood-path where 

 they were last seen to pass. The hare runs from fifty to a hun- 

 dred yards ahead of the dogs, and in its windings and turnings to 

 escape from them frequently returns to the spot where the hunter 

 is stationed, and falls by a shot from his gun. 



The northern hare, when rapidly pursued, makes such great 

 eflforts to escape that the poor creature (as we have said already) 

 is occasionally successful, and fairly outruns the hounds, whilst 

 the hunter is cunningly avoided by it when doubling. After 

 one of these hard chases, however, we have known the animal 

 die from the fatigue it had undergone, or from having been over- 

 heated. We once saw one which had been closely pressed by 

 the dogs nearly all the afternoon, return to a thicket after the 

 hounds had been called off", and the sportsmen had given up the 

 vain pursuit. Next morning we examined the place it had retired 

 to, and to our surprise, discovered the hare sitting in its form, 

 under a dwarfish, crooked, pine-bush ; it was covered with snow, 

 and quite dead. In this instance the hare had no doubt been 

 greatly overheated by the race of the preceding day, as well as 



