THE RODENTS. 81 



white examples, some of the latter having the eyes of the 

 normal brown, not pink as in albinos. The hare is covered 

 with hair all over, even to the soles of its feet. Mr Harting 

 fixes the average weight at 8 Ibs. 



The Blue Hare (otherwise, Varying, Alpine, or Irish 

 hare) is found chiefly in Ireland (where it replaces the 

 preceding species), in the Highlands and isles of Scot- 

 land, and in the Lake Country, though it is not uncom- 

 mon in Yorkshire and Cheshire and a few 

 Blue Hare. , 



other counties. 



The interest chiefly attaching to this rather smaller 

 species is in its winter change of coat, a metamorphosis 



which, like the stoat, it undergoes in greater 

 Winter coat. ' f 



or lesser degree throughout its range, although 



older writers denied, for some reason or other, that this 

 change took place in Ireland. The process is now held 

 to be similar to that observed in the stoat, and not, as 

 was also alleged in the case of the latter, through any 

 actual change in the colour of the old fur. The common 

 hare is said to undergo a similar change in the colder 

 portions of its range. The black tips of the ears never 

 change colour. The food of this species consists largely 

 of pine-seeds and hill-grasses. It has no " form " like the 

 common hare, but it has the same habit of lying close. 

 Like the hill-fox, its pace is far inferior to that of the 

 hare of the plains. 



This hare is said to produce but two litters during the 



year; and if this is indeed the case, then it 



is the least prolific of the British members of 

 the family. 



The chief differences, in addition to the winter whiten- 

 ing of the coat, between this and the common hare, 



are as follow : The hind - legs are shorter, 

 ppeara ice, a pp rO aching the others in length ; the ears 



are also shorter, and the fur is softer. In 

 colour greyish, the tips of the ears black. 



F 



