tfiE COMMON fiARE. 291 



Spring of the year the Hares are generally to be 

 found on fallows, or amongst green corn. During 

 the autumn, they frequent stubbles, and turnip 

 fields; and in winter they seat themselves among 

 brambles, or tufts of thorns. In the latter season, 

 they are said generally to be found in a southern 

 aspect, where they receive all the possible warmth of 

 the sun. During the fine moonlight evenings of 

 summer, several of these animals may often be seen 

 sporting together, leaping about, and pursuing 

 each other with the greatest playfulness; but the 

 least noise alarms them, and they precipitately 

 scamper off, each in a different direction* 



Their most favourite food is green corn, parsley, 

 pinks, or birch; and in young plantations they 

 sometimes prove very injurious, by eating the bark 

 from the trees : this they do from every sort, ex- 

 cept the alder and lime. A Suffolk gentleman, in 

 1798, was obliged to destroy his Hares, near some 

 new plantations; and the amount of what were 

 known to have fallen victims, was one thousand and 

 eighty two. In some districts on the continent, 

 these animals are very numerous, and consequently 

 very destructive. In two days shooting, at the 

 chateau of Prince Adam Daversperg, in Bohemia, 

 in the year 1788, there were very nearly eleven 

 hundred Hares killed. The nobility, and other 

 privileged owners of landed property, in various 

 parts of Germany and Prussia, are extremely tena- 

 cious of their game, and preserve them with the 

 X 2 utmost 



