430 SPORTING ADVENTURES IN THE FAR WEST. 



seen on high grounds or prairies, but is always found near 

 streams or lakes. It takes to the water as readily as a re- 

 triever, and may often be seen swimming about in search 

 of the water-plants which it loves. When startled by men 

 or dogs, it goes for the water at once, and generally escapes, 

 as its scent is lost immediately. It is not considered edi- 

 ble by hunters, as it is very often attacked by a red bug 

 which produces sores, and these soon breed maggots that 

 fairly eat it up alive. The male attains a length of twenty 

 inches; the tail is nearly three inches long; and the hind- 

 feet are from three to over four inches in length. 



The next species allied to this is the true swamp hare 

 {L.iialustris), whose head and incisors are disproportion- 

 ately large. The ears are not more than two- thirds the 

 length of the head: the hind-feet are shorter than the 

 head ; the toes are pointed, and the nails are visible. This, 

 also, is one of the most peculiar of American hares, owing 

 to its short and thinly-furred feet, its wide head, and small, 

 weak legs, especially the hinder. The tail is short, being 

 scarcely half the length of the ear, and the fur is coarse 

 and bristly. It changes much in color at various periods, 

 but its usual summer coating is a grayish yellow- brown 

 above, and a grayish beneath. 



One striking peculiarity between the Western hares is, 

 that while the skull of the mule and the large California 

 hare is narrow, the width being less than one -half the 

 length, that of the others is broad, the width being about 

 half the length. The European rabbit (X. cuniculus) would 

 seem to be the connecting link between these two classes, 

 so far as the form of the skull is concerned, as it occupies 

 the medium position. 



One of the largest, if not the largest, hares in the North- 

 west is the polar hare (i. glacialus), which is very abun- 

 dant in Alaska and portions of British America. Its ears 

 are four-fifths the length of the head, and its tail is propor- 

 tionately long. It turns completely white in winter; but 

 in summer it is a yellowish-brown and gray above, varied 

 with black ; and the ears are a glossy black outside. 



