142 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



when at Hampton Court Palace. The name is often found surviving elsewhere. Near one of 

 the large country English seats a walled park of 1 ,500 acres holds almost all the hares on the 

 estate. If these parks and forest laws had not existed at an earl}- date, it is probable that the 

 hare would have become very scarce in this country. 



Hares produce their leverets about the middle of April, though in mild seasons they are born 

 much earlier. The number of the litter is from two to five. They are placed in a small hollow 

 scraped out by the due hare, but not in a burrow of any kind. 



The instinct of concealment by remaining still is very highly developed in the hares and 

 rabbits. They will often " squat" on the ground until picked up rather than take to flight. This 

 seems almost a perverted instinct; yet hares often exhibit considerable courage and resource 

 when escaping from their enemies. The following is an instance:- A hare was coursed by two 



Ph-te h C. Rtld 



WILD RABBITS 



young greyhounds on some marshes intersected by wide ditches of water. It first ran to the side 

 of one of these ditches, and doubled at right angles on the brink. This caused the outer dog to 

 lose it- balance and to fall heavily into the deep and cold water. The hare then made straight 

 for the hue of walkers, and passed through them, with the other greyhound close behind it. 

 i'he dog reached out and seized the hare by the fur of the back, throwing it down. The hare 

 caped, leaving a large patch of fur in the dog's jaws, doubled twice, and was again seized by 

 the second dog, which had come up. It escaped from the jaws of the second pursuer, leapt two 

 ditches 12 feet wide, and then -at lor a moment behind a gate on a small bridge. This use of 

 the only cover near caused the dogs to lose sight of it ; they refused to jump the second drain, 

 and the hare escaped. 



The Rabbit is too well known to need description either of its habits or appearance. It 

 originally came from the countries south of the Mediterranean, but is now common in Northern 

 Europe, and has become a pest in Australia and New Zealand. The rabbit breeds when six 

 months old, and has several litters in each year. 



