68 THE MAMMALS, REPTILES, AND FISHES OF ESSEX. 



August, 1885. The Vole was rescued by him, uninjured, 

 from a cat, and was forwarded alive to the Zoological 

 Gardens. 



The habits of Ai-vicola glareolus appear to be similar to 

 those of the last species, but I think it is never found in such 

 damp situations as the Field Vole. The only distinguishing 

 characters to be entirely depended upon are the teeth. 

 Colour, length of tail, and brush at the end of it, are uncertain 

 marks in such a variable family, and I advise no one to 

 trust any of these traits singly in the identification of 

 specimens. 



Family LEPORID-/E. 



Genus LEPUS, Linn. 



Lepus timidus, Linn. COMMON HARE. 



I shall say little about this animal, as it must be well- 

 knbwn to everyone. It occurs in all parts of the county, and 

 is, from its manner of feeding, a great pest to the corn-grower 

 and the gardener. 



Hares vary much in weight. From seven to eight pounds 

 is the average in this county ; but I once saw a female turn 

 the scale at ten pounds and a half. 



Occasionally a perfectly black Hare has been captured. 

 Mr. James Cooper records (Zool., 1856, p. 5058) shooting 

 one such on the estate of Sir W. Bowyer Smijth, Hill Hall, 

 Epping, on January 3ist, 1856. Others are noted from Ongar 

 (Field, Jan. 3rd, 1863, P- J 6), and Epping, where within a cir- 

 cuit of about five miles four black Hares and leverets were 

 taken about the year 1865. 



I have once seen a very light-coloured, almost white, Hare 

 at Paglesham. A similar specimen was killed, after a very 

 long chase, on the estate of Sir C. C. Smith, at Suttons, 



