Hares 



"jackass rabbits." Similarly, in Argentina the name 

 " mulita " (little mule) is applied to a long - eared 

 armadillo. 



Sportsmen accustomed to European hares will be 

 somewhat surprised to see the Indian species, when 

 hunted, not unfrequently take refuge in holes. Except 

 in the case of the bristly rabbit {Lepus hispidus) of the 

 Eastern Himalaya and Assam — which receives no further 

 mention here — such holes are not, however, dug by the 

 rodents themselves, but are the burrows of other animals 

 — such as foxes — they may encounter in their flight. 

 In default of holes, hares in the Nilgiris when coursed 

 sometimes seek asylum in the hollow trunks of trees. 

 The black-naped species {Lepus Nigricol/is), which, is the 

 hare of Southern India and Ceylon, may be distinguished 

 at a glance by the presence of a large black patch on 

 the back of the neck. It is found in the peninsula to 

 the south of the Godaveri river, and is met with com- 

 monly on the Nilgiris, as it is on the plateau of Newera 

 EUia in Ceylon. 



From other Indian members of the genus Lepus 

 (apart from the black-naped species), the North Indian 

 hare (L. ruficaudatus) is distinguished by its harsh 

 fur and reddish-brown upper surface of the tail, the 

 ears being nearly naked. The general colour of the 

 upper-parts is light reddish brown, mingled with black 

 on the face and back, the chest and legs being more 

 decidedly red, and the chin, the upper portion of the 

 throat, and the under-parts white. A narrow black 

 line margins the tips of the outer surface of the ears. 

 With the exception of Western Rajputana, Sind, and 

 the south-western districts of the Punjab, where its 

 place is taken by the next species, this hare is found 

 throughout the greater part of Northern India, ranging 

 from Hazara in the north-west to Assam in the east. 

 It is known to occur at least as far south in the peninsula 

 as the valley of the Godaveri, and it may extend into 

 parts of the Deccan. Its favourite haunts are among 



399 



