12'^ Lloyds natural historV. 



broad and obtuse at the muzzle, with a depressed nose, and 

 the upper Hp tumid and divided by a vertical median cleft. 

 The laterally-placed eyes are large and remarkably prominent ; 

 and the long ears are narrow, deeply concave, and rounded at 

 the tips. The somewhat long claws are slightly curved, com- 

 pressed, and rather sharp; although on the hind-feet they 

 become blunted in old animals. The fur, as in the other 

 members of the genus, consists of two kinds of hairs, of which 

 the one is long and coarse, and the other short, fine, and 

 somewhat woolly. In addition to the usual " whiskers," a few 

 long bristly hairs are situated over each eye. A Hare generally 

 weighs from seven to eight pounds when fully grown ; but 

 much heavier specimens occur, Bell recording one of eleven 

 pounds, while in another just over thirteen pounds was 

 scaled. 



Distribution. — Before discussing the distribution of this spe- 

 cies, it should be mentioned that by all the older writers on 

 British Mammals, the Common Hare is alluded to under the 

 name of Lepus timidiis. Since, however, this species does not 

 occur in Scandinavia, there can be little doubt but that the 

 latter name was applied by Linnaeus to the Mountain-Hare of 

 that region, to which species the name in question must con- 

 sequently be transferred. 



With the exception of the Scandinavian peninsula. Northern 

 Russia, and Ireland, the Common Hare ranges over the whole 

 of Europe. That it extends to the Caucasus, and that it is 

 unknown in Siberia, are ascertained facts, but we are not aware 

 that the actual easterly limits of its range have been defined. 

 Distributed over the whole of England and the Lowlands of 

 Scotland, the Hare is less abundant in many of the northern 

 districts of the latter country, on the higher tracts of which its 

 place is taken by the next species. It occurs, however, 

 commonly in Caithness, and is also found in the east of 



