212 THE OPEN COUNTRY 



have been made the types of distinct species, under the respective names of 

 L. lilfordi and L. corsicanus. 



The brown hare, as the species is often called, is found in most European 

 countries, from the Ural Mountains westwards, its northern limits being Scotland, 

 southern Sweden, and the countries on the White Sea, its southern boundaries being 

 the Mediterranean, the Black Sea, and the Caucasus. It also appears round 

 the Caspian, but is unknown in Siberia. Its favom-ite haunts are wide, fertile 

 plains and clearings along the outskirts of a forest. In the Alps it is found 

 as high as 5000 feet, and in the Caucasus up to 6500 feet. The hare feeds on 

 grass, young coi - n, and various kinds of herbs to which it may obtain access : in 

 the daytime it lies hidden among clods of earth and bushes, where it relies more 

 on hearing than on sight to escape its many foes. The statement that hares sleep 

 with their eyes open is untrue. When suddenly frightened, a hare trusts to its 

 legs, although it does not run far in a straight line, but soon doubles and returns 

 by a roundabout way. If not quite sure that danger is near, it will sit up, 

 shaping itself almost into a cone, and sometimes standing up on its hind-legs to 

 look and listen; if reassured, it will lie as flat as possible on the ground, while, 

 when danger is real, it races off with ears laid well back on the neck, keeping 

 if possible to level ground, or going up-hill, because down-hill, on account of its 

 short fore-legs, it runs the risk of stumbling. Hares increase very rapidly ; in 

 mild winters they begin pah'ing in January, and have several litters during the 

 year. About a month after pairing, the female brings forth from three to five 

 leverets, which are born with their eyes open, and are suckled for three weeks 

 when they leave their parents, although remaining in the neighbourhood. Hares 

 may live to eight or ten years, but rarely if ever attain that age on account of 

 the persistent pursuit they sutler from foxes and smaller Carnivora, as well as 

 from birds-of-prey and man. 



Continental The mouse-tribe is much more numerously represented in the 



Field-Mouse, fields than the hare, although only a single species of true mice 

 can be considered a field-animal. This is the harvest-mouse (Mus minutus), the 

 smallest found in Europe. Much more harmful is the continental field-mouse 

 (Microtus arvalis), easily distinguished by the naked inside of the ears, which 

 are one-third the length of the head. In colour this field-mouse is yellowish grey 

 above, and dirty rusty white below ; its feet being whitish, and the soles of the hind 

 pair having six pads. According to the different countries it inhabits it varies 

 greatly ; its range extending from the Atlantic to the Urals in western Siberia 

 and the central Asiatic steppes, and from north Germany and the Baltic to 

 northern Italy, Dalmatia, Turkey, and south Russia. It is not found in Great 

 Britain, where its place is occupied by the short-tailed field-mouse (M. agrestis), 

 nor in Iceland, Corsica, Sardinia, or Sicily, neither has it been observed in 

 Sweden. Ranging as high as 5500 feet up the mountains, it also lives in fields 

 and meadows, as well as the forest clearings and outskirts. It not only lives 

 in dry places, but also in marshes, where it makes its nest on some elevation. 

 Sometimes it migrates in large colonies, often to quite another part of the country, 

 crossing rivers on its way. The continental field-mouse runs quickly and swims 



