6io 



THE NATURE BOOK 



the white scuts may serve a purpose in 

 keeping the does and 3'oung together, 

 but we must not forget that the white is 

 most conspicuous in the bucks and that 

 the diameter of the eyes in Hares and 

 Rabbits indicates a very sensitive vision. 

 The iris of a Hare's eye is golden brown, 

 and the diameter of the pupil is slightly 

 less than that of the pupil of a Rabbit's 

 eye under similar conditions of lighting. 



LEVERET ABOUT THREE WEEKb OLD. 



In consequence of this the Hare's eye 

 presents a bolder, more hawk-like aspect 

 than that of the Rabbit, whose iris is 

 often of a chocolate colour. The con- 

 tracting power of a Hare's pupil appears 

 to be somewhat limited, but the position 

 and size of the eye, as a whole, imply an 

 extended range of vision, and the fact 

 that when pursued a Hare is concerned 

 with what is behind him even more than 

 with what is in front (hence the exqui- 

 sitely timed "double") has led to some 

 curious accidents. I have known a case 

 of Puss completely flooring a man who 

 had stooped to a half-sitting position, 

 with his arms extended, to head her from 

 a gap. Daniel gives an instance of a 

 Hare colliding with a terrier end on. In 

 this case the terrier was stunned and the 

 Hare's skull smashed. I am not aware 

 that the speed of a gallo]")ing Hare has 

 been properly determined, but putting it 

 fifteen per cent, less than that of a first- 

 class greyhound, one may assume that 

 it is not far short of thirty miles an hour. 

 A ten-pound Hare travelling at this pace 

 would be quite an effectiv^e projectile. 



The ordinary length of a Hare's pace 

 is about a yard, but when pressed Puss 

 is capable of a great effort. Major Barrett 

 Hamilton has recorded a leap of ten feet 

 accomplished by a Hare running from a 

 dachshund, and the normal standing leap 

 from the " form " is often more than two 

 3'ards. 



As can be most easily determined b}- 

 snow-prints, when the snow is of suitable 

 consistency, the running Hare's hind feet 

 strike the ground in front of the fore feet. 

 The same "bucking" progress character- 

 ises the Rabbit, but in his case the hind 

 feet come down side by side, whereas in 

 the case of the Hare one is always a little 

 in advance of its fellow. 



Though I have seen five Hares simul- 

 taneously engaged in my one cabbage 

 patch, the Hare is by nature a " solitary." 

 His " form," in which he dozes through the 

 day, is usually on high, dry ground, and 

 fastidiously selected with a view to 

 making the best of the prevailing weather. 

 He seldom quits it before nightfall, 

 though after a prolonged spell of bad 

 weather hunger may occasionally impel 

 him to feed by daylight. Normally he 

 spends the day in digesting his last night's 

 bellyful. Mr. Drane, who has contributed 

 greatly to our knowledge of the Hare, 

 has described an extraordinary habit 

 which he has found to accompany a 

 Hare's normal digestion. I must content 

 myself here with informing the reader that 

 the Hare does not " chew the cud " in the 

 ordinary sense of the term, and must 

 refer him for further details to Mr. Drane's 

 papers in the transactions of the Cardiff 

 Natural History Society, 1894-5. 



Hares have frequently been kept in 

 confinement, and every one who has kept 

 them, and gained their confidence, is 

 agreed as to the fascination of their ways, 

 and the affection which they display to- 

 wards their keepers. 



Of the many wild creatures who have 

 passed through my hands, and who, 

 I think I may fairly claim, have honoured 

 me with some show of confidence, the 

 Harvest Mouse, the Badger and the Hare 

 have appealed most to my symjiathies. 



I can add but little to the observations 

 made by others on captive Hares. A 

 question which has puzzled several 

 observers is whctlier Hares ever close 



