194 



RODENTS. 



Habits. 



The hare, like other members of the genus, is an exclusively 

 vegetable feeder, its food consisting of grass, corn, bark, etc. In 

 cultivated districts hares often inflict much damage on growing wheat, and like- 

 wise on garden vegetables ; while the destruction these animals cause among young 

 trees by nibbling away the bark is sometimes very great. In fine weather hares 

 are usually to be found in the open, while during rain they show a decided prefer- 

 ence for cover ; but while on some days they select the bare fallows, on others they 



COMMON HARE (\ nat. size). 



repair to fields with long grass or other herbage. On some occasions, either when 

 lying in the open or in their forms, they will almost allow themselves to be trodden 

 upon before stirring; and it is then that they are sometimes captured by the 

 poacher merely walking silently up and throwing himself suddenly upon them. 

 On other occasions they are so wild that it is difficult for the sportsman to come 

 within range ; Prof. T. Bell observing that they are generally most wild in bad 

 weather, and more so in the afternoon than in the morning. The hare will take 

 readily to the water, not only to escape from pursuit, but likewise to obtain food 



