20 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HARE 



leveret (which I held in my hand) cried out, the old 

 hare (which was evidently its mother) rushed up to us 

 snorting as if it would attack us, and remained near 

 all the time we hunted for the weasel, which I am 

 sorry to say escaped us that night. The old hare 

 once, in her boldness, to defend her young, ran up 

 within a few inches of the dog's nose.' ' 



Practical men always assure me that the doe hare 

 lives a solitary life, except in the season of love. The 

 charge of the leverets, which are born with open eyes, 

 depends entirely upon the female parent. They say 

 also that it is a mistake to keep as many jack hares 

 as does on a farm, because the superabundant males 

 fight viciously, and one buck will amply suffice to 

 pair with half a dozen does. Some people maintain 

 also that they can distinguish the sexes of hares by 

 the way in which the animals carry their ears. The 

 female allows her ears to fall back (as they do while 

 she rests in her form) when fleeing from her enemies. 

 The male animal carries one of his ears partly raised 

 as he races away. I cannot vouch for the truth of 

 this belief ; but it is prevalent among poachers 

 who depend upon hare catching for their subsist- 

 ence, and are therefore fairly well acquainted with 

 the actions of the animal they persecute. My 



' Field, Sept. 22, 1892. 



