STUDIES IN HARE II FE 



and Harvie Brown report that there are brown hares 

 on several of the northern isles, viz. upon Hoy, Eday, 

 Rousay, Shapinsay, the Mainland, and on South 

 Ronaldshay. 



The hare was introduced to the last-named island 

 by Lord Zetland. There used to be some hares in 

 Papa Westray, but the animals have been exterminated 

 by the natives. Mr. Moodie-Heddle considers that 

 some of the brown hares which are killed in Orkney 

 bear an external resemblance to the blue hare in her 

 summer pelage. The hares in question appear to be 

 darker than the hares of the Scottish mainland, and 

 lack the rich reddish-brown tint of the parent race. 

 In Sutherlandshire, Caithness, and some other Scottish 

 counties the brown hare occurs most frequently in the 

 fertile straths and upon the alluvial plains, seldom 

 evincing any desire to wander very far from the borders 

 of the cultivated regions, in which she prefers to make 

 a permanent residence. But the elevation to which 

 the brown hare voluntarily ascends in this country 

 still requires to be investigated. In the North of 

 England the brown hare rambles all over the fells at 

 her sweet will. Country folk will tell you that the 

 hare which is bred upon the pastures of the mountain- 

 side is a larger-boned animal than her sister of the 

 valley. If there is any truth in this tradition, the 



