HARES 325 



one estate was followed in the early spring by the killing of 

 6012. Whether this slaughter satisfied the farmers or no is 

 not stated. Probably the biggest shoots of hares occur in the 

 United States, where the animals, almost precisely like our own 

 brown hares, are called "jack rabbits." They have become so 

 troublesome to farmers that the latter turn out in regular armies 

 when the "trouble" becomes worse than usual, and the "jack 

 rabbits" are done to death in countless numbers. Another 

 kind of hare found in the States is the " cotton tail," which in 

 all outward appearance is precisely like our common rabbit, 

 except that it does not burrow. It is the perquisite of the 

 nigger dog, and if he is there, of the nigger dog's master. 



The "jack rabbits" give splendid coursing and a fine scent 

 for hounds ; the " cotton tails " do neither, but gun-dogs invari- 

 ably point them. The hunting of the hare is probably the oldest 

 of all sports now practised. It was rated high by Xenophon 

 more than three centuries before the Christian era, and 

 Xenophon would have made an excellent master of harriers 

 in our day if we could have induced him to leave his nets at 

 home. The fox never took precedence of the hare until earth- 

 stopping was invented, and without it the former would even 

 now be the less worthy as a quarry. 



The brown hare prefers the open country to the woods, and 

 is never found in the latter until haytime and harvest have 

 driven it out of the fields. Even then it may take to a fallow 

 field in preference to the woods, and the author has known a 

 little 10 acre field to have more than 100 hares in it upon 

 such an occasion. In wet dripping weather that is, when the 

 drip falls from the trees in covert along with the falling leaf 

 hares prefer to make forms in the open fields. These they 

 will return to daily for weeks together, unless they are disturbed. 

 But if they are put off their forms they do not often come back 

 to them again, but make new ones. Consequently, if it is 

 desired to have a great day's covert shooting, including hares, 

 the open country should be beaten for them several days 

 before. The fact that they are disturbed will send them into 

 the coverts. On the other hand, after the coverts are beaten, 



