THE HARE KIND 



361 



cate retreats ; where, if hay be spread as a 

 bed for them, they continue to sleep together, 

 and seldom venture out but when they sup- 

 pose all interruption removed. On these oc- 

 casions they act as rabbits ; they swiftly move 

 forward from their bed, stop at the entrance, 

 listen, look round, and if they perceive the 

 slightest approach of danger, they run back 

 with precipitation. In very cold weather, 

 however, they are more active, and run about 

 in order to keep themselves warm. 



They are a very cleanly animal, and very 

 different from those whose name they go by. 

 [f the young ones happen to fall into the dirt, 

 or be any other way discomposed, the female 

 takes such an aversion to them, that she never 

 permits them to visit her more. Indeed, her 

 whole employment, as well as that of the male,, 

 seems to consist in smoothing their skins, in 

 disposing their hair, and improving its gloss. 

 The male and female takes this office by turns; 

 and when they have thus brushed up each 

 other, they then bestow all their concern upon 

 their young, taking particular care to make 

 their hair lie smooth, and biting them if they 

 appear refractory. As they are so solicitous 

 for elegance themselves, the place where they 

 are kept must be regularly cleaned, and a 

 new bed of hay provided for them at least 

 every week. Being natives of a warm climate, 

 they are naturally chilly in ours ; cleanliness, 

 therefore, assists warmth, and expels moisture. 

 They may be thus reared, without the aid of 

 any artificial heat ; but, in general, there is 

 no keeping them from the Tire in winter, if 

 they be once permitted to approach it. 



When they go to sleep, they lie flat on 

 their bellies, pretty much in their usual pos- 

 ture ; except that they love to have their fore 

 feet higher than their hinder. For this pur- 

 pose they turn themselves several times round 

 before they lie down, to find the most con- 

 venient situation. They sleep like the hare, 

 with their eyes half open; and continue ex- 

 tremely watchful, if they suspect danger. 

 The male and female are never seen both 

 asleep at the same time; but while he enjoys 

 his repose, she remains upon the watch, si- 

 lently continuing to guard him, and her head 

 turned towards the place where he lies. 

 When she supposes that he has had his turn, 

 she then awakes him with a kind of murmur- 



ing noise, goes to him, forces him from his 

 bed, and lies down in his place. He then 

 performs the same good turn for her; and 

 continues watchful till she also has done 

 sleeping. 



These animals are exceedingly salacious, 

 and generally are capable of coupling at six 

 weeks old. The female never goes with 

 young above five weeks; and usually brings 

 forth from three to five at a time; and this 

 not without pain. But what is very extraor- 

 dinary, the female admits the male the very 

 day she has brought forth, and becomes again 

 pregnant; so that their multiplication is as- 

 tonishing. She suckles her young but about 

 twelve or fifteen days; and during that time 

 does not seem to know her own ; for if the 

 young of any other be brought, though much 

 older, she never drives them away, but suf- 

 fers them even to drain her, to the disadvan- 

 tage of her own immediate offspring. They 

 are produced with the eyes open, like all 

 others of the hare kind ; and in about twelve 

 hours, equal even to the dam in agility. Al- 

 though the dam has but two teats, yet she 

 abundantly supplies them with milk; and 

 they are also capable of feeding upon vege- 

 tables, almost from the very beginning. If 

 the young ones are permitted to continue to- 

 gether, the stronger, as in all other societies, 

 soon begins to govern the weak. Their con- 

 tentions are often long and obstinate; and 

 their jealousies very apparent. Their dis- 

 putes are usually for the warmest place, or 

 the most agreeable food. If one of them hap- 

 pens to be more fortunate in this respect than 

 the rest, the strongest generally comes to 

 dispossess it of its advantageous situation. 

 Their manner of fighting, though terrible 

 to them, is ridiculous enough to a spectator. 

 One of them seizes the hair on the nape of 

 the other's neck with its fore teeth, and at- 

 tempts to tear it away; the other, to retaliate, 

 turns its hinder parts to the enemy, and kicks 

 up behind like a horse, and with its hinder 

 claws scratches the sides of its adversary ; 

 so that sometimes they cover each other with 

 blood. When they contend in this manner, 

 they gnash their teeth pretty loudly, and this 

 is often a denunciation of mutual resentment. 



These, though so formidable to each other T 

 yet are the most timorous creatures upon earth, 



