British Gnawing Mammals 



compeers of field and wood, yet it seems somewhat 

 strange and puzzling to find the creature almost 

 defisnceless under special circumstances. A Hare 

 appears to be entirely devoid of resource. On its 

 own ground it is usually alert and vigilant, and any 

 foreign sound or object is sure to disturb the animal 

 and send it beyond the zone of danger. Its fleetness 

 of foot is its safety. Taken unawares, however, the 

 Hare dashes madly about, and often gives up its life 

 by its blundering tactics. If a Hare is observed on 

 the move during the daytime, it is a sure sign the 

 animal has in some way or other been disturbed in its 

 " form," as its bed is termed. Living as it does 

 entirely above ground, the animal is accustomed to 

 rely solely upon its fleetness as a protective measure 

 against its enemies. For its size no British mammal 

 can compete with it in this respect. 



Tranquil pastures are the Hare's paradise. Quiet- 

 ness gives the animal confidence, and its innate ner- 

 vousness seems to be erased where these conditions 

 prevail. The Ground Game Act has in a measure 

 thinned the ranks of the animal so far as the lowlands 

 are concerned, and this Act has to a certain extent sent 

 the Brown Hare into the more remote regions. 

 Hares are thus decreasing in the arable lands, and 

 increasing where pastures alone are in evidence. The 

 sanctuary of the hills has thus been taken full advantage 

 of by these animals ; so much so that they have become, 

 in a manner, a menace to the owners of grouse moors. 



S8 



