92 THEY ARE PROLIFIC. 



as they are jocosely called in Sweden often follow the 

 female at this season, her favours are believed to be be- 

 stowed on one alone. The males, especially the old ones, 

 fight desperately on these occasions, and the strongest 

 always carry the day. The female is very prolific, having 

 three broods within the year ; the first about March or 

 April, the second near to Midsummer, and the third in 

 August. Each brood generally numbers from three to five ; 

 but she has been known to have as many as seven young 

 ones at a time. The female forms no regular bed for her 

 progeny, and only visits them occasionally. It is supposed 

 she suckles them for about three weeks, and then leaves 

 them to shift for themselves. It is well the hare is so 

 prolific, for the young are not only exposed to very numerous 

 enemies, but the mother, by all accounts, is the worst of 

 nurses, and very many of the leverets perish consequently 

 from inattention. There is an old saying in Sweden, so Ek- 

 strom tells us, and one not altogether without foundation, 

 that " the larger portion of the first brood are frozen to death, 

 the greater part of the second brood live, and the third 

 brood are mostly destroyed by ants and other insects." 



Hares are believed to pair within a few months of their 

 birth, and of course long before they have attained to their 

 full growth, which is not supposed to be until they are a year 

 or fifteen months old. Captain Littorin tells us, for instance, 

 that one of his acquaintance having first ascertained there 

 were no previous occupants turned out two leverets of the 

 first, or spring brood on to a certain island, three miles 

 distant from the main land. In the autumn he shot not 

 only these two hares, which were marked on the ear, but 

 three young ones in addition. 



