PAGES OF HARE LORE 



35 



the guns, however numerous and however well 

 placed.' ^ 



St. John mentions how he slept one night at a 

 shepherd's house in the hills. ' During almost all the 

 night the dogs of the place were barking and yelping 

 at my deerhound, entirely preventing me from sleeping. 

 I was the first person up, and on going out I started a 

 hare that had made her form up against the turf wall 

 of the cottage, undeterred by the constant noise of 

 dogs that had gone on during all the night.' 



The hare is associated, with some interesting 

 traditions of folklore, both in the Highlands and else- 

 where. Mr. P. M. C. Kermode writes that the Manx 

 equivalent of the proverb ' Birds of a feather flock 

 together' is ^ Furree yn mwaagh risk e heshey' — i.e. 

 'The hare will be found with his mate.' It is the 

 object of superstition and a favourite form to be 

 assumed by a witch. The son of a witch, who himself 

 dabbled in the black art, was known as ' Gaaue 

 mivaagh,' ' The hare-smith.' He adds that the 

 natives of the Isle of Man never think of eating hares. 

 It would be interesting to hear if there is any other 

 district in which a similar prejudice may happen to 

 survive. 



To return to our discussion about the habits 



' Natural History and Sport in Moray ^ p. 292. 



D 2 



