QQQ Life-histories of Northern Animals 



rebounds, and finally the animal squats in its tracks on its 

 hauncheswitha jerk, to look and listen. * * * The attitude at 

 such times is highly characteristic. One fore-foot is advanced 

 a little before the other, and the ears are held pointing in op- 

 posite directions. A Hare in such an attitude as this is always 

 upon the watch, and the slightest stimulation of its fears at 



.. -* ** ■* * "* * 



I f 



Fig. 179 — Tracks of the Prairie-hare, sketched in State of Washington and in Wyndygoul Park. 



such a time is enough to start it on its bounding course. It is 

 a beautiful exhibition of timid watchfulness." 



It rarely stirs about while the sun is high in the sky. 



SPEED It is undoubtedly the speediest wild four-foot left on the 



Manitoban prairies to-day. In my scale of swiftness I have 

 put it next to the Antelope. It is far faster than dog. Coyote, 

 or Fox, and can often outrun the greyhounds in an open chase. 

 Captain Lewis measured the leaps of this animal and found 

 them commonly from 18 to 21 feet;^ and many observations 

 lead to the conclusion that it can travel for a mile or more at the 

 rate of nearly 30 miles an hour. 



This high velocity was doubtless a result of the severest 

 pressure. I suppose we are safe in estimating that at least 

 once a day a Jack-rabbit must save itself by its speed, and at 

 least once a week it is hard pressed in a long race for life. 



An individual that I watched closely while it ran at its 

 easy, unafraid gait, covered 52 yards in 13 hops over the snow, 

 an average of 12 feet to the half-speed hop. 



All the Jack-rabbits have a habit of making an occasional 

 bound straight up in the air, to take an observation in spring- 

 bok fashion. This custom, seen at its highest development in 



* Coues, Ed., Lewis and Clark, 1893, Vol. Ill, p. 866. 



