244 NATURAL HISTORY IN ANECDOTE. 



her fierce and eager pursuers. In about twenty minutes I 

 observed Kitty return towards the garden, apparently much 

 exhausted, and very dirty. She took shelter beneath a small 

 heap of sticks, which lay at no great distance from the 

 kitchen door. No time was to be lost, as, by the cry of 

 the hounds, I was persuaded they were nearly in sight. I 

 took a fishing-net, and, with the assistance of the servant, 

 covered poor Kitty, caught her, and conveyed the little, 

 panting, trembling creature into the house. The harriers 

 were soon at the spot, but no hare was to be found. I am 

 not aware that I ever felt greater pleasure than in thus saving 

 poor Kitty from her merciless pursuers. Towards evening I 

 gave Kitty her liberty; I turned her out in the garden, and 

 saw her not again for some time. In the course of the 

 following summer, however, I saw a hare several times, which 

 I took to be my old friend ; and, in the latter end of October, 

 Kitty was again observed in the garden. Henceforward she 

 was occasionally seen as on the preceding winter. One 

 morning, in January, when I was absent, a gun was fired near 

 my cottage; Kitty was heard to scream, but, nevertheless, 

 entered the garden vigorously. The matter was related to 

 me on my return home; and I was willing to hope that Kitty 

 would survive. However, I had some doubt on the subject; 

 and, the next morning, as soon as light permitted, I explored 

 the garden, and found that my poor unfortunate favourite 

 had expired; she was stretched beneath a large goose- 

 berry tree; and I could not help very much regretting her 

 death." 



Tame Hares. Though exceedingly timid creatures hares are 

 readily tamed, and have often become as domesticated 

 as cats and dogs. Cowper's experiments with hares will natu- 

 rally occur to the reader, besides which there are cases 

 recorded where tame hares have been associated in domesti- 

 city with cats and even sporting dogs. One possessed by 

 Mr. A. S. Moffat was thus domiciled and would feed from 



