LEPORID& 



493 



FIG. 217. The Common Hare (Leptis timidits). 



the ears and hind limbs. It is found in all parts of Europe except 

 the north of Russia, the Scandinavian peninsula, and Ireland. Its 

 fur is usually of 

 a tawny gray 

 colour above and 

 white beneath, 

 with the upper 

 surface of the 

 short tail and the 

 tips of the ears 

 black. The col- 

 our of the fur 

 differs, however, 

 considerably in 

 different lati- 

 tudes and at dif- 

 ferent seasons of 

 the year ; show- 

 ing a tendency 

 to become white 



during winter in northern countries, while assuming a reddish- 

 yellow hue in the more genial climate of southern Europe. The 

 Hare is a nocturnal animal, remaining during the day on its " form," 

 as the slight depression is called which it makes in the open field, 

 usually among grass. 



The Mountain Hare (L. variabilis) is found throughout the 



northern part of 

 the Pala5arctic 

 region, ranging 

 from Ireland in 

 the west to Japan 

 in the east, and 

 also occurring in 

 several of the 

 more southerly 

 mountain ranges, 

 such as the 

 Pyrenees, the 

 Alps, and the 

 Caucasus. It is 

 smaller than the 



common species, 

 with a smaller 

 and more rounded 

 In cold climates the 



FIG. 218. The Mountain Hare (Lepus variabilis). 



head, and shorter ears, tail, and hind limbs. 



colour of the whole animal changes in the winter to a pure white 



