128 THE REASON WHY: 



" What man art thou ? quod lie, 

 Thou lokest as thou woldest find an hare, 

 For ever on the ground I see thee stare." CHAVCKB.' 



distinctly behind -while it runs directly forward. The muscles of its body being 

 strong, and unencumbered with fat, it has no superfluous burden of flesh to carry ; 

 and to assist it in escaping from its pursuers, the hinder legs are considerably longer 

 than the fore, which adds to the swiftness of its motions. When the hare hears the 

 hounds at a distance, it flies for some time from a natural impulse, till having gained 

 some hill or rising ground, and left the dogs so far behind that their cries no longer 

 reach its ears, it stops, rears on its hinder legs, and looks back for the purpose of 

 satisfying itself whether its enemies are still in sight or not ; but the dogs having 

 once gained the scent, trace it with united and unerring skill; and the poor animal 

 Boon again receives indications of their approach. Sometimes, when hard hunted, 

 it will start a fresh hare, and squat in the same form ; at others, it will creep under 

 the door of a sheep-cot, and conceal itself among the sheep ; sometimes it will enter 

 a hole like the rabbit ; at others, it will creep up one side of a quickset hedge, and 

 down the other ; and it has been known to ascend the top of a cut edge and run n 

 eonsiderable way, by which stratagem it has effectually evaded the hounds. It is 

 also not unusual for the hare to betake itself to furze bushes, and leap from one to 

 another, whereby the dogs are frequently misled ; and as it swims well, and takes 

 the water readily, it will cross a river with the same intent, if it has the opportu- 

 nity. It may be observed, however, that the first doubling which a hare makes 

 generally affords a key to all its future attempts of that kind, the latter exactly 

 resembling the former. The hare is a short-lived animal, and is supposed rarely to 

 exceed the term of seven or eight years. Its voice, which is seldom heard but in the 

 distress of sudden surprise, or when wounded, resembles the sharp cry of an 

 infant. Its enemies are numerous and powerful. Every species of the dog kind 

 pursues it by instinct ; the cat and the weasel tribes exercise aB their arts to ensnare 

 it ; and birds of prey, snakes, adders, &c., drive it from its form, particularly during 

 the summer season ; these, with the more destructive pursuits of mankind, con- 

 tribute to thin the number of these animals, which from their prolific nature would 

 otherwise multiply to an extravagant degree.* 



394. Why do rabbits burrow, while hares make forms upon 

 the surface? 



The burrowing of the rabbit is an instinctive contrivance conse- 

 quent upon its defective speed. The rabbit cannot outrun its 

 enemies, therefore it obtains immunity from attack by contriving 

 a retreat in the ground. 



Another distinction renders this difference of habit necessary: 

 the eyes of young hares are open at birth, and the dam suckles 

 them only for about twenty days, when they leave her and procure 

 their own subsistence. Young rabbits are born blind, aro very 



* "Maunder's Treasury Nat. History." <* 



