CH. vi.] STAR IN HARE'S FOREHEAD. 223 



thither and forgotten, or left for a future time. 

 I am a loss to conceive the inducement which leads 

 the mice to bring them so far from the coverts, to 

 a place where they have apparently no regular 

 harbour, instead of eating them quietly in the 

 shelter of the covert where they find them. 



There is a popular notion, which I believe is 

 rather general, that the white star which is some- 

 times seen in the Hare's forehead is a sign that 

 there were more than one in the litter. It is not 

 likely that any such distinction should exist, but 

 a keeper told me, in proof of the theory, that he 

 had once found a litter of four, just laid down, 

 all of which were thus marked. 



It is curious to observe how the approach of 

 hard weather is heralded by the flocking together 

 of House Sparrows in rick-yards. This was very 

 noticeable in the spring of 1853, when, after the 

 severe frost and snow of the winter had passed 

 away, and given place to more genial weather, 

 scarcely a sparrow was to be seen in the home- 

 steads. Suddenly however they were again filled 

 with large flocks of them, and within two days 

 after, on the 1 9th of March, came a biting easterly 

 wind and heavy fall of snow, accompanied by a 

 frost of from 4 to 6, which lasted several days. 



