1g 09.) > 
valuable miscellany, they, may lead, per- 
haps, to, a discussion of the subjectamong 
your scientific correspondents, and en- 
able us, to asceitain, with some, degree, 
of certainty, the nature and causes of 
that change:—for although the all-wise 
re of the creator is abundantly evi- 
ent in the change which does take, 
piace, I do not know that the nature or 
causes of that change have been at all, 
explained on seicntific principles, 
I have confined my remarks to 9 very 
few of the animals which exhibit, this 
change in their colour, and to those too 
which are either very common, or to be 
met with in, Great Britain, because it is 
only, in those animals that I have ob- 
served the facts of which 1 speak, and to 
which I could wish to direct the atten- 
tion of the naturalist. The first animal 
which I shall mention is the common 
hare (Lepus timidus of Linné). This ani- 
mal, which is well known, is found in 
every quarter of the world, but is no 
where more frequent than in these king- 
doms; it is so common indeed as to ren- 
der any general description unnecessary. 
During the spring and summer moaths 
the down of the hare, though varied in 
external appearance, is uniformly of a 
bluish grey towards the roots. This is 
the case not only on the back and sides 
of the bare, when the tips of the down 
are of a brown colour, but also on the 
belly, where the down is white; but in 
winter, or what the laws of England 
have denominated the hare-hunting sea- 
son, the down becomes much finer; and 
-what was formerly of a blue-grey colour 
is now of a pure white; and during very 
severe winters in the north of Scotland, 
this whiteness.extends almost to the cx- 
tremities of the down, so as to render the 
back of the hare almost as white as. the 
abdomen. This is a fact which 1 should 
suppose to be familiar to almost every 
person. 
The next animal which I shall men- 
tion 1s the mountain hare ( Lepus vuria- 
bitis of Liuné), In. this species of hare, 
which is freqaent on the mountains of 
Norway, Lapland, and Russia, and which 
is also found in the northof Scotland, the 
change of colour is still more remarkable, 
The mountain hares,which are found in the 
Highlands of Scotland, are somewhat less 
than the common hare; their ears are 
much shorter, and they have more slen- 
der legs. In summer their colour is very 
much like that of the common hare, but 
rather of a lighter dun. Jn autumn they 
- 
On the Change of Colourin. Animals. 
§25: 
appear at a distance of a tawny grey.ce, 
Jour; but as the wmter approaches, ubis, 
colour begins to change, and at Christ- 
mas they are all of a pure white, except, 
the tips of their ears, which are black, 
and which, I believe, never change.—., 
‘heir summer coat begins to change its, 
colour in the month of September, and 
does not re-appear till the monthofApril. 
Tn summer, and while the weather con- 
tinues mid, they are only to be inet with 
singly on the summits of the highest 
mountains; but im winter, and particu-, 
larly if the snow ties long, they venture. 
down into the plains and shaded places, 
and continue to graze together in flocks, 
They always return, however, to the 
mountains as soon as the snow begins to 
disappear. 
They burrow in the snow, and are of 
so pure a white, that they are not easily 
distinguished. They appear to have a 
very quick eye, and a strong sense of 
smell, as there is a considerable difficulty. 
in getting near enough to shoot them; , 
but if the snow is hard, they are easily 
caught with vreyhounds; for they have 
not either the strength or swiftness of, 
the common hare. 
The next animal which I shall men- 
tion, as remarkable for changing its colour 
is a species of the Weasel, which I have 
met with in the West Highlands of Scot- 
laud, and which is common in the little 
Island of Lismore, in Argyleshire. Dur-— 
ing che summery months this little animal. ~ 
resembles in) colour and appearance the 
common weasel (Mustela vulgaris of 
Linné), ‘Phe length of its body is about 
seven inches, aud of its tail about three 
inches—the back and sides are of a pale 
reddish or yellowish brown, aud its belly, 
is white: it is a very lively animal, but, 
like the common weesel, has a very un= 
pleasant smell. In winter, its appearance 
is considerably altered, and the whole of 
its fur is of a pure white, except on the 
ears, and a small part of the tail, where, 
the. fur always remains black. I have 
scen weasels of a pure white in different 
parts of Scotland, and particularly in, 
Dumfriesshire; but was taught to believe 
that they were only a variety of the, 
common weasel, and that they were 
white in the summer as well as in wine 
ter. But this I am inclined to think is 
not the case, as I could not ascertain a 
while weasel had ever been “seen during 
summer; while, on the contrary, f heard 
it always remarked by farmers, that they 
never appeared but to announce ascvere 
snow 
