346 



ANIMALS OF 



its muscles are formed for swiftness ; and all 

 its senses seem only given to direct its flight. 

 It has very large prominent eyes, placed back- 

 wards in its head, so that it can almost see 

 behind it as it runs. These are never wholly 

 closed ; but as the animal is continually upon 

 the watch, it sleeps with them open. The 

 ears are still more remarkable for their size; 

 they are moveable, and capable of being di- 

 rected to every quarter; so that the smallest 

 sounds are readily received, and the animal's 

 motions directed accordingly. The muscles 

 of the body are very strong, and without fat, 

 so that it may be said to carry no superfluous 

 burden of flesh about it ; the hinder feet are 

 longer than the fore, which still adds to the 

 rapidity of its motions; and almost all animals 

 that are remarkable for their speed, except 

 the horse, are formed in the same manner. 



An animal so well formed for a life of es- 

 cape might be supposed to enjoy a state of 

 tolerable security; but as every rapacious 

 creature is its enemy, it but very seldom lives 

 out its natural term. Dogs of all kinds pur- 

 sue it by instinct, and follow the hare more 

 eagerly than any other animal. The cat and 

 the weasel kinds are continually lying in 

 ambush, and practising all their little arts to 

 seize it ; birds of prey are still more danger- 

 ous enemies, as against them no swiftness can 

 avail, nor retreat secure ; but man, an enemy 

 far more powerful than all, prefers its flesh to 

 that of other animals, and destroys greater 

 numbers than all the rest. Thus pursued 

 and persecuted on every side, the race would 

 long since have been totally extirpated, did 

 it not find a resource in its amazing fertility. 



The hare multiplies exceedingly; it is in 

 a state of engendering at a few months old ; 

 the female goes with young but thirty days, 

 and generally brings forth three or four at a 

 time.* As soon as they have produced their 

 young they are again ready for conception, 

 and thus do not lose any time in continuing 

 the breed. But they are in another respect 

 fitted in an extraordinary mauner for multi- 

 plying their kind ; for the female, from the 

 conformation of her womb, is often seen to 

 bring forth, and yet to continue pregnant at 

 the same time ; or, in other words, to have 



BufTon, vol. xiii. p. 12. 



young ones of different ages in her womb to- 

 gether. Other animals never receive the 

 male when pregnant, but bring forth their 

 young at once. But it is frequently different 

 with the hare; the female often, though al- 

 ready impregnated, admitting the male, and 

 thus receiving a second impregnation. The 

 reason of this extraordinary circumstance is, 

 that the womb in these animals is divided in 

 such a manner that it may be considered as 

 a double organ, one side of which may be 

 filled while the other remains empty. Thus 

 these animals may be seen to couple at every 

 period of their pregnancy, and even, while 

 they are bringing forth young, laying the foun- 

 dation of another brood. 



The young of these animals are brought 

 forth with their eyes open, and the dam 

 suckles them lor twenty days, after which 

 they leave her, and seek out for themselves.* 

 From this we observe, that the education 

 these animals receive is but trifling, and the 

 family connexion but of a short duration. In 

 the rapacious kinds the dam leads .her young 

 forth for months together; teaches them the 

 arN of rapine; and, although she wants milk 

 to supply them, yet keeps them under her 

 care until they are able to hunt for themselves. 

 But a long connexion of this kind would be 

 very unnecessary as well as dangerous to the 

 timid animals we are describing; their food 

 is easily procured ; and their associations, 

 instead of protection, would only expose them 

 to their pursuers. They seldom, however, 

 separate far from each other, or from the 

 place where they were produced; but in ike 

 each a form at some distance, having a pre- 

 dilection rather for the place than each other'* 

 society. They feed during the night rather 

 than by day, choosing the more tender bladei 

 of grass, and quenching their thirst with the 

 dew. They live also upon roots, leaves, fruits, 

 and corn, and prefer such plants as are fur- 

 nished with a milky juice. They also strip 

 the bark of trees during the winter, there 

 being scarce any that they will not feed on, 

 except the lime or the alder. They are par- 

 tictiliirly fond of birch, pinks, and parsley. 

 When they are kept tame, they are fed with 

 lettuce and other garden herbs ; but the flesh 



fe Button, vol. xiii. p. 12. 



