THE AQUATIC HARE. 179 



they are remarkably swift and enduring. When among 

 the caporal or wild sage, they have so little dread of 

 man's presence that they will almost permit themselves 

 to be kicked out of their form ; from this circumstance, 

 for shooting them, small shot, say No. 6, can be used 

 to the greatest advantage. 



The aquatic hare is alone found in America, the 

 savannahs of Georgia and South Carolina being its 

 favourite habitat ; Kentucky, Southern Indiana, Illi- 

 nois, also Tennessee, possess them. I am inclined to 

 believe, however, that they are nowhere sufficiently 

 numerous to make them a special object of pursuit. 



My introduction to this animal I will relate. A 

 little before sunset, on a fine calm evening in March, I 

 took my stand upon a bridge crossing a slough in the 

 southern portion of Illinois, with the hope of killing a 

 few wild ducks. The atmosphere was so clear and 

 still that the birds were very late in visiting their feeding 

 ground. While impatiently trying to kill time, I saw 

 something swimming in the water, and supposing it to 

 be a common American musk-rat, and being desirous of 

 a new tobacco-pouch, I well hid in the flags, stealthily 

 stole along the margin of the water, to endeavour 

 to obtain a closer shot, for the musk-rat requires a 

 tremendous deal of killing. Having knocked over my 

 game, in a few minutes my retriever laid it at my 

 feet; but imagine my surprise when, instead of a 

 rat, I found it to be a hare. I could scarcely believe 

 my senses, but seeing is believing. Of course I thought 

 that the poor creature had been driven to water to 

 avoid a foe, but before many days I shot several, and 

 all in similar situations. The habits of this new 

 variety I now made a study, and found that they were 



