FAMILY LEPORID^E ; HARES AND RABBITS. 269 



and from the changes of colour which it undergoes), inhabits tha 

 northern parts of Scotland, the mountainous parts of Ireland, and 

 has been occasionally seen in the mountains of Cumberland. It 

 is intermediate in size between the Rabbit and the common 

 Hare; and tenants the sides and summits of mountains, hiding 

 in the clefts of rocks, or among rocky fragments. Its ordinary 

 food is similar to that of the other species ; but during the 

 winter it feeds on lichens and on the seeds of pines. During the 

 summer its colour is a light grey, except on the lips and at 

 the tips of the ears, which are black ; but at the approach 

 of winter, it gradually becomes completely white, with the 

 exception of these parts, which remain black. At the return 

 of spring, the white fur is thrown off, and a new gray coat 

 is obtained, which in its turn undergoes the autumnal change. 

 That this change is solely due to the effect of cold upon the hair, 

 is evident from this fact, that a Lemming (which undergoes a 

 similar change), caught in the summer, during one of the Arctic 

 voyages, and kept in the cabin of the ship, at a warm tempera- 

 ture, retained its summer coat far beyond the usual time ; but 

 when taken on deck, on the 1st of February, and exposed to 

 the intense cold of 30 below Zero, the colour of its fur began to 

 change in a few hours, and was completely turned in the course 

 of a week. The purpose of this curious phenomenon is evidently 

 to afford concealment to the animals which undergo it ; by the 

 resemblance between the hue of their fur, and that of the sur- 

 rounding snow. The common Hare of Ireland has been lately 

 shown to be a species different from that of England ; and it is 

 curious that, besides some constant differences in its form, its fur 

 is valueless as an article of commerce ; being destitute of the 

 long fine dark hairs, which constitute the beauty of that of the 

 common species. 



237. The structure of the Rabbit closely resembles that of the 

 Hare; the smaller size of the former constituting its chief variation ; 

 but in its habits,as is well known, it is extremely different, living 

 in societies, instead of alone ; and burrowing extensively beneath 

 the soil, instead of squatting upon it. There is reason to believe 

 that the Rabbit was not originally a native of our island ; but the 



