176 MAMMALIA OF NORTHUMBERLAND AND DURHAM. 
Cesar, in the twelfth chapter of the book of his commentaries 
on the Gallican war, says that “the ancient Britons did not eat 
the flesh of the hare;’”’ and evidently implies that they had some 
religious or superstitious scruple against eating the flesh of the 
hare, the cock, and the goose. Might not Cesar be deceived by 
the Druids into this belief, or rather, may not the Druids, with 
the usual aristocratic sympathies of their class, have fostered this 
belief in the minds of the common people, so as to preserve for 
the upper classes of ancient British society, their rightful sport, 
of which they might soon have been deprived, had the lower 
orders once acquired a taste for such excellent yiands. Coursing, 
cock fighting, and the snaring of wild fowl, were doubtless 
preserved to the country gentlemen and squires of that day, or 
those who represented them, by this excellent invention of 
the church, which caused, probably, much less heartburning 
and trouble than the game laws do in ours, and answered the 
same end. 
This curious superstition appears to have existed among the 
earliest races of men, of which any remains are preserved. 
Neither in the “ Kjékkenméddings” of Denmark, or the ‘ Pfahl- 
bauten” of Switzerland have the bones of the hare been found. 
3. L. vartariuis, Pall. AtPpIne Hare. 
L. hibernicus, Thomps. 
There appears to be no doubt that the so called Irish hare is 
specifically identical with the Alpine hare of our mountains. 
We are not aware that this species has been met with in our 
district, though we see no reason why it should not occur on the 
Cheviots and high fells which separate our counties from Cum- 
berland and Westmoreland, the mountains of which it inhabits. 
The Rev. H. B. Tristram tells us that an attempt was made 
to introduce it at Castle Eden, by Rowland Burdon, Esq., but 
that it was unsuccessful; all the individuals being destroyed and 
accounted for within a year. 
*,* Since our Catalogue was in type we have been favoured with 
much additional information, especially relating to Hounds and Hunting. 
This, with any further matter we are able to collect, may supply material 
for a supplement at some future time. 
