The terrestrial mammals and birds of North-East Greenland. 



29 



to and from the skerries are nearly exclusively undertaken in the 

 hardest time of winter. 



The alpine hare prefers to live on rather low slopes strown with 

 stones and with scanty vegetation. Such slopes are preferred, that 

 give the hare in case of danger easy access to more elevated regions. 



Though not exactly a nocturnal animal the hare always takes 

 the hours of rest at that time of the day, when the sun is at its 

 highest. Yet it will begin a meal even in the middle of the day if 

 it is wakened up or frightened. 



Fig. 12. Favorite hare locality. March 1908. (Harefjeldet. 



In the dark period it seems to have no fixed time of rest. 



When resting the hare generally sits near a large stone or a 

 low wall of rock, dozing or asleep sheltered for the wind and if 

 possible warmed by the sun. Most commonly it will choose its 

 seat a little way up a slope not too near the top nor at the foot. 



Through large not too hard snow drifts formed in winter the 

 hare will sometimes dig long channels for shelter; but as a rule I 

 found it even in the severest winter cold sitting by its stone with- 

 out any other shelter, than what the stone could afford and with 

 only that deepening in the snow, which was caused by the weight 

 of the animal. 



The hare keeps quite immovable during its resting time sitting 



