HABITS OP THE HAEE. 55 



Nilsson, the Swedish naturalist, is of opinion that 

 two species of hare are found in Scandinavia, one of 

 which he calls the syd-hare, or southern hare, the other 

 the nord or f jail-hare, that is, northern or mountain 

 hare. Most probably only one species is to be found 

 in Sweden and Norway, and the difference in appear- 

 ance is owing to climate and the changes of seasons. 

 I have handled no less than a dozen hares in the Chris- 

 tiania market at the same time, no two of which were 

 exactly similar in colour. Attempts have been made 

 to introduce the common brown hare into Sweden, but 

 hitherto without success. 



The hare feeds by night, and its food consists of 

 various kinds of herbs, especially parsley, for which it 

 has a great liking ; it also eats roots, the tender leaves 

 of plants, grasses, and grain. Its habits are well 

 described in the following lines of the poet : 



" The timid hare, 



Scared from the corn, and now to some lone seat 

 "Retired : the rushy fen, the rugged furze 

 Stretched o'er the stony heath, the stubble chapt, 

 The thistly lawn, the thick entangled broom 

 Of the same friendly hue, the withered fern, 

 The fallow ground laid open to the sun 

 Concoctive, and the nodding, sandy bank 

 Hung o'er the mazes of the mountain brook." 



The poor hare has many enemies in Norway, and 

 falls a victim to wild animals, as well as to birds of prey, 

 especially eagles and large owls. 



As to whether the hare is a ruminating animal or 

 not, I do not venture to express an opinion. Linnaeus 

 asserts that it is, but in a manner unlike other rumi- 

 nating animals, which have a stomach of four cavities, 



