312 Poachers and Poaching. 



until we connect them with the many inter- 

 mediate links. It then becomes evident that 

 these differences are, after all, such as may be 

 accounted for by conditions of climate and geo- 

 graphical range. The northern form has thick 

 fur, which inclines to white in winter ; the cen- 

 tral variety has fur of onlv moderate thickness, 

 j 



becoming grey in winter ; and the southern, thin 

 fur of a deep rufous tinge. The calling of these 

 varieties " species J> is simply scientific hair- 

 splitting ; though this hardly applies to the true 

 variable or mountain hare. This Alpine form is 

 distributed over the countries within the Arctic 

 Circle, though with us its southern haunt is 

 determined by Scotland and Ireland. Again 

 in this species we have three forms, each 

 mainly characteristic of certain latitudes. The 

 first inhabits warm low-lying countries, and 

 does not change colour in winter; of this the 

 Irish hare is a type. The second, the variety 

 common to Northern Europe, which is grey in 

 summer and purely white in winter ; while the 

 third is the Arctic form white right through 

 the year. The six types are probably all 

 varieties of one species, which, for protection, 

 conform to their own environment ; and so 

 successfully do they do this, that the progeny 

 of two pair of mountain hares which in 1854 

 were turned down in the Faroes might long 

 ago have been counted by thousands. The 



