THE COMMON HARE. 297 



that were observed in the course, a Hare has been 

 known to run upwards of four miles in twelve mi- 

 nutes. In February, 1789, a Hare was pursued in 

 Essex, which ran more than twenty .miles in about 

 two hours; and a Hare that was started on Stoke 

 Down, ran, it was supposed, near fifteen miles in 

 three quarters of an hour*. 



It is said, that from May till August these animals 

 may be enticed to approach the sportsman, by 

 means of a pipe, or call. The sound from this in- 

 strument is a kind of squeak, first slow and then 

 quicker, and is supposed to resemble the call be- 

 twixt the male and female Hares. The harepipe is 

 mentioned in our old law books, as a device for- 

 merly used by poachers, in killing Hares; and in 

 the deputations to game-keepers, it was described 

 as an instrument which they were empowered to 

 seize. 



The Hare is a very gentle animal, and when 

 caught young is susceptible of education. The 

 best proof that I can adduce of this, is to recite, 

 without abridgment, Mr. Cowper's highly interest- 

 ing narrative respecting his tame Hares. This is 

 inserted in some of the latest editions of his poems; 

 but as it has not hitherto appeared, in illustration 

 of the character of the animal, in any book of 

 natural history, I trust that, without censure, (on 



* Daniel's Rural Sports,' See the article Greyhoynd. 



account 



