The terrestrial mammals and birds of North-East Greenland. 



31 



crouched with the ears half erected, seldom turned quite backwards 

 and the eyes nearly closed; surrounded by snow, as it is, it is there- 

 fore extremely difficult to discover even at quite a short distance. 



I often found 2, 3 or 4 hares crouched together in such attitudes. 



I caused the animals to rush up, when I suddenly made noise 

 or quickly moved my hand or foot. 



In rapid jumps they hurried up the hill side — never the oppo- 

 site way — moving on the tip toes of the hind limbs, while the 

 fore limbs either dangled in the air or were kept close to the breast. 



The vigilant animals danced among each other — still without 

 using their fore limbs — looking out for the nature of the danger, 

 while they turned their ears forward and strongly scented by means 

 of their nostrils. 



Not the weakest vibration in the air did 

 under these circumstances escape the atten- 

 tion of the animals. 



I feel sure, that the hare in dangers 

 more trust their sense of hearing and smel- 

 ling than their sight. 



I convinced myself at many other occa- 

 sions, that the hare's sight is not very strong. 



If the frightened hares considered the 

 danger to be only slight — as they for in- 

 stance did when I kept quiet — they soon 

 give up their "playing kangaroos" and would 

 slowly on all fours jump towards the nearest larger stone to conti- 

 nue their broken off repose; on the way they would occasionally 

 snatch a mouthful of alpine willows or other eatable plants. 



If they found the danger threatening, they would — using all four 

 limbs — go for the top of the fell in a wild run; among the highest 

 rocks they would sit for a moment and keep a look-out only to 

 disappear all together the next instant. 



Solitary sitting hares suddenly frightened would execute the 

 very same kangaroo-like movements, which the animals also accom- 

 plished when — looking for food — they were suddenly surprised. 



If from an ambush I shot a hare out of a flock of grazing ani- 

 mals, the others would dance around for a few seconds until they 

 felt convinced, that the case could not be dangerous; then they 

 would again begin to look for food while their shot — sometimes 

 still sprawling — companion was lying amongst them. 



When in the afternoon the hare begins to feel hunger it slowly 

 leaves its resting place after a violent yawning and stretching of the 

 limbs; the hungry hare makes a few indolent jumps forwards on 



Fig. 15. Alpine hare, stretch- 

 ing himself after sleep. 



