WEIGHT OF HARES. 121 



Mr. Daniel mentions a curious instance of a hare 

 being killed in Sandpit Wood, in the parish of Terling, 

 Essex, In one of the paths, by directing all her attention 

 and sight towards some foxhounds that were drawing 

 a cover, a hare at full speed met and ran against a 

 terrier, who was hastening to the cry with equal velocity. 

 Both animals were apparently killed. The dog Avith 

 some difficulty was recovered ; but the hare's skull was 

 fractured to pieces. The general weight of a hare is 

 about seven or eight pounds and a half, but the}- are 

 sometimes met with in England, particularly the wood 

 hares, weighing ten pounds. Whilst at Frankfort on the 

 ]\Iaine, I had one sent me as a present that weighed nearly 

 eleven pounds. It is generally considered that hares are 

 larger and stronger in proportion to the coldness of the 

 climate they inhabit. Hares are very destructive to 

 flower gardens, and are particularly fond of pinks and 

 parsley. In the county of Suffolk, a gentleman found 

 that his hares were so destructive to some of his new 

 plantations, that he gave an order to have them de- 

 stroyed, and the number which was known to be killed 

 amounted to 1084.* Hares do not pair, but the 

 male pursues the female by his acute sense of smelling; 

 and, as I before mentioned, the gamekeepers should be 

 careful to keep down the jack-hares, as they fight 

 furiously, and torment the female. In a mild winter, 

 they breed nearly the whole year. The female brings 



* At Sir ]Maiirice Berkelej-'s manor at Cranford, Lord Panniure shot 

 in January 1858, standing in the same spot, and within the space of five 

 minutes, t-vrice killed a brace of hares at one shot, and on each occasion both 

 hares had quitted the covert, and were running at the top of their speed, 

 but in close proximity, down a ride. A double event which has rarely 

 happened to any sportsman under similar circumstances. 



