THE HARE AND ITS WAYS 43 



they know are habitually favoured by hares, and, 

 putting in their dogs, course and kill them. By this 

 means they accomplish long distances, and can escape 

 quickly with their plunder. However, even against 

 these scoundrels, plans of protection can be devised, 

 albeit with some trouble and difficulty. 



Hares are excellent swimmers, and when pressed 

 by hounds have no hesitation whatever in taking 

 to water and crossing broad streams. They will 

 swim long distances at times, and in the year 1898 

 an instance was recorded in the Field in which a hare 

 had swum from the mainland to a small island in the 

 lake at Waterville, County Kerry. This island is 

 nearly three-quarters of a mile from shore. Personally, 

 I am not surprised at this instance. I have watched 

 hunted hares swimming rivers and streams many a 

 time, and it is apparent that they progress with ease 

 and fair rapidity. They are fine dyke jumpers, as 

 from their conformation might be naturally supposed ; 

 they will either fly a ditch in their stride, or, if the 

 banks are sloping, will run down to the margin, and 

 leap over at a good bound. But they have no fear 

 of water, and will plunge into a stream if hurried, 

 or slip into it quietly if less hurried — preferably they 

 do the latter — and make their way across. Only a 

 few days before writing this chapter I saw a hare, 

 hard pressed by the Bexhill Harriers, plunge souse into 

 a marsh dyke, making as big a splash as a hound, 

 and sending the water flying in all directions. 



Scotch hares — the blue or mountain species — go 

 to ground very frequently, but the brown hare seldom 

 indeed resorts to this expedient, even when hunted. 

 However, in dire straits she will do this, and I have 

 on more than one occasion seen her hunted to ground 

 in some earth at the root of an old tree, or other 



