66 The Hare. [Sess. 



be seeu that the period of gestation does not, as already in- 

 dicated, exceed five weeks. I have never kept adult hares in 

 confinement vpith the view of observing their habits, which, I 

 think, would be the only way of testing the matter under con- 

 sideration with any degree of certainty. At the same time, I 

 think it dangerous to rest any theory, or argue in support of any 

 experiment, founded on the artificial conditions produced by 

 dissociating animals from their natural environments and plac- 

 ing them in confinement. Nature resents all such interference. 



Thirdly, as to the number hares produce at a litter. This is 

 generally two, though very frequently only one. I have, how- 

 ever, seeu three and have heard of four ; but, though I have 

 skinned and dissected very many gravid hares, I have never, 

 with only some two or three exceptions, found more than two 

 young ones, and certainly never more than three. 



The fourth point, as to how often hares breed in a season, is 

 a much-controverted question — gamekeepers and others, who 

 have spent their lives in the country, holding a wide diversity 

 of opinion. There are, I am persuaded, no certain data to 

 warrant the general application of any definite theory, many 

 circumstances and conditions falling to be considered which 

 necessarily preclude the operation of any uniform law. There 

 are, for instance, the nature of the climate and the abundance 

 or scarcity of food-supplies to be taken into account. Then 

 there is the circumstance of " puss" being allowed to luxuriate 

 in conscious security from her enemies, or that of her being 

 subjected to daily disturbance by farmers' collies or miners' 

 lurchers, each and all of which exercise an influence in deter- 

 mining the extent to which hares are prolific. It may safely 

 be assumed that the natural time for hares dropping their young 

 is in the month of March — some, of course, earlier, and others 

 later. Still, this may be regarded as a fact which few will care 

 to dispute. There are, I am satisfied, very many — 1 would be 

 disposed to say the greater proportion — which do not again 

 breed that season ; but there is still a considerable number, 

 certainly not young hares, which have a second litter late in 

 August or in the earlier part of September. I have shot hares 

 in milk in October, although in rare instances. This, however, 

 is no unusual thing in September — a fact which leads me to 

 suggest that, in so far as the sportsman is concerned, hares 



