HARE KIND. 123 



They seldom live above seven or eight years at 

 the utmost ; they come to their full perfection in 

 a year ; and this, multiplied by seven, as in other 

 animals, gives the extent of their lives.* It is 

 said, however, that the females live longer than 

 the males : of this M. Buffon makes a doubt ; but 

 I am assured that it is so. They pass their lives, 

 in our climate, in solitude and silence ; and they 

 seldom are heard to cry, except when they are 

 seized or wounded. Their voice is not so sharp 

 as the note of some other animals, but more near- 

 ly approaching that of the squalling of a child. 

 They are not so wild as their dispositions and 

 then* habits seem to indicate ; but are of a com- 

 plying nature, and easily susceptible of a kind of 

 education. They are easily tamed. They even 

 become fond and caressing, but they are incapa- 

 ble of attachment to any particular person, and 

 never can be depended upon ; . for though taken 

 never so young, they regain their native freedom 

 at the first opportunity. As they have a remark- 

 ably good ear, and sit upon their hind-legs, and 

 use their fore-paws as hands, they have been 

 taught to beat the drum, to dance to music, and 

 go through the manual exercise. 



But their natural instincts for their preserva- 

 tion, are much more extraordinary than those 

 artificial tricks that are taught them. They make 

 themselves a form particularly in those places 

 where the colour of the grass most resembles that 

 of their skin ; it is open to the south in winter, 



* Buffon, vol. xiii. p. 1 2. 



