GOING ON HIS STUMPS. 95 



The night was passed in the forest, in which while the bitch 

 very carefully tended the leveret. In the morning early 

 it was carried to a cottage, where the attempt was made 

 with a small spoon to introduce a little milk into its stomach, 

 which also succeeded. During the two days that I remained 

 thereabouts, it was several times fed in a similar manner, 

 but died at length, probably from the want of proper 

 attention." 



An instance was recently given of a fox not only living, 

 but thriving on his stumps, both of his fore-legs having been 

 lopped off in a steel- trap. A somewhat similar circumstance 

 is related of a hare. 



" During the first Spdr-sno, or tracking-snow, this winter," 

 says M. Littmark, " my dog caught a hare, both of whose 

 fore-legs were broken (probably by shot, a few weeks pre- 

 viously) just below the knee. The leg-bones, some two 

 inches in length, which were almost altogether without hair, 

 and to which were hanging splinters of bone in a very 

 blackened and decayed state, served her for feet : in other 

 respects, and though very lean, she was uninjured. This goes 

 far to show in what a miserable state the hare can continue 

 to exist and feed herself." 



If taken quite young the hare may be easily domesticated, 

 and will follow her master like a dog. Witness Cowper's 

 three favourites, Puss, Tiny and Bess, of which the poet has 

 given us so very interesting an account. But to make these 

 animals perfectly docile, they must be allowed, so to speak, the 

 run of the house, to which arrangement, however, from their 

 offensive smell and dirty habits, few people have a fancy. 

 When domesticated, the hare has many amusing tricks. I 

 myself have kept considerable numbers of hares, on one 



