NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



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retreats in search of food, made for their lairs at full 

 speed, and in doing so were obliged to run across 

 our front, or dodge past in our rear. Although 

 they apparently afforded a good mark, yet it was 

 by no means easy to shoot them, their forms being 

 so shadowy, and the moonlight so deceptive. 



On being disturbed while feeding, the bucks 

 stamp loudly, and emit a peculiar grunting hiss, 

 which is often continued while they are racing for 

 shelter. 



The degree of celerity with which these hares 

 can race amongst the boulders and dart into their 

 lairs on the edges of the cHffs, is little short of 

 marvellous. It is, as a general rule, impossible to 

 reach their lairs under the overhanging boulders 

 and slabs of rock on the tops of the krantzes without 

 the aid of a strong rope, and reliable men to hold it 

 securely. 



On one occasion we managed to catch a glimpse 

 of a family of these hares huddled up in a rather 

 large crevice under an overhanging rock at the edge 

 of a krantz five hundred feet or more in height. 

 This was accomplished by tying a rope around each 

 ankle of a member of our party, and carefully 

 letting him down over the edge of the cliff, head 

 foremost. 



The Rock Hare is large and robust, averag- 

 ing 24 inches in length ; the hairs of the head 

 and back are yellowish-buff, tipped with black, 

 giving the animal a grizzled appearance, which is 



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