HABITS OF THE HARE. 131 



and a-half inches ; from heel to end of middle toe five inches 

 and a-half. The full-a:rown animal will aA-eraore in Aveisht 

 from five to six pounds ; in the depth of winter a trifle less. 



rPHE Lepus AraericanuSf so well-knowTi under the 

 -*- name of rabbit, is common to most parts of Xortli 

 America, although it has been confounded with one 

 or two other species. It is found as far north as the 

 sixty-eighth parallel of latitude. 



The hunter who kills one of these animals must not 

 expect to find quite so savoury an animal as the Euro- 

 pean hare. Its flesh is rather dry, and not superior to 

 that of the common English rabbit; but some sportsmen 

 are epicurean in their fancies, and ma,y pronounce it 

 delicious for the sake of its novelty. 



Like the generality of its species, the American hare 

 seeks its food during the night, or late in the evening, 

 or early in the morning. Sometimes, during the spring 

 and summer months, it may be observed as the sun is 

 rising or declining in the afternoon, cautiously proceed- 

 ing by some w^ell-known route through the woods. 

 Grroups of two or three are sometimes found sporting 

 together. If they are disturbed on such occasions, they 

 will sit upon their hind-legs and drum upon the ground 

 with their fore-paw^s, in the manner so common to most 

 hares and rabbits. This noise, thus produced, can be 

 heard at some yards' distance. If the intruder who 

 causes all this disturbance continues his movements, 

 they will all hop into the bushes, and there sit erect on 



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