CHAPTER III 



THE HARE AND ITS WAYS 



Two kinds of British hare — Weight of hares — 

 Hare traits — PecuUarities in colouration — Story 

 of a white-cheeked hare — Albino and black hares — 

 Ground Game Act and its effects — Protection needed 

 — Many foes of hares — Hares as swimmers — Anec- 

 dotes of Cowper's hares — Other hares in captivity 

 and their demeanour — Pugnacity — Keen intelligence 

 — Determination — March hares and their ways — 

 Curious death of a hare — Food of these animals — 

 Habits of life — Hares in their forms — Difficult to 

 find — Manoeuvres when hunted — Pricking hares on 

 a road — Hares taking to sea — Beckford on the Hare 



The common brown English hare {Lepus timidus), 

 which alone is hunted by harriers in this country, has 

 a wide distribution, and was always found throughout 

 the whole of Europe, except Northern Russia, Scan- 

 dinavia, and Ireland. It was, however, to be met with 

 in Denmark and East Finland. In Ireland the in- 

 digenous hare is the blue or mountain hare, sometimes 

 called the varying hare {Lepus variabilis), similar to 

 that found in the Highlands of Scotland, in Norway, 

 Sweden, North Russia, and as far eastward as Japan. 

 The English hare has, however, been long since in- 

 troduced into Ireland, and is now common there. 

 This hare is distinguished from others by its long 

 ears and hind legs. A good average brown hare will 

 weigh about 8 lb., but examples are often shot scaling 



