ANIMAi.S. 323 



siispt'ct danger. The male and female are never seen both asleep 

 at the same time ; but while he enjoys his repose, she remains 

 upon the watch silently continuing to guard him, and her head 

 turned towards the place where he lies. When she supposes 

 that he has had his turn, she then awakes him with a kind of 

 murmuring noise, goes to him, forces him from his bed, and lies 

 down in his place. He then performs the same good turn for 

 her ; and continues watchful till she also has done sleeping. 



These animals are exceedingly salacious, and generally are 

 capable of coupling at six weeks old. The female never goes 

 with young above five weeks ; and usually bring forth from three 

 to five at a time ; and this not without pain. But what is very 

 extraordinary, the female admits the male the very day she has 

 brought forth, and becomes again pregnant ; so that their multi- 

 plication is astonishing. She suckles her young but about 

 twelve or fifteen days ; and during that time does not seem to 

 know her own ; for if the young of any other be brought, though 

 much older, she never drives them away, but suffers them even 

 to drain her, to the disadvantage of her own immediate offspring. 

 They are produced with the eyes open, like all others of the 

 hare kind ; and in about twelve hours, equal even to the dam in 

 agility. Although the dam has but two teats, yet she abundantly 

 supplies them with milk ; and they are also capable of feeding 

 upon vegetables, almost from the very beginning. If the young 

 ones are permitted to continue together, the stronger, as in all 

 other societies, soon begin to govern the weak. Their conten- 

 tions are often long and obstinate ; and their jealousies very ap- 

 parent. Their disputes are usually for the warmest place, or 

 the most agreeable food. If one of them happens to be more 

 fortunate in this respect than the rest, the strongest generally 

 comes to dispossess it of its advantageous situation. Their 

 manner of fighting, though terrible to them, is ridiculous enough 

 to a spectator. One of them seizes the hair on the nape of the 

 other's neck with its fore-teeth, and attempts to tear it away ; 

 the other to retaliate, turns its hinder parts to the enemy, and 

 kicks up behind like a horse, and with its hinder claws scratches 

 the sides of its adversary ; so that sometimes they cover each 

 other with blood. When they contend in this manner, they 

 gnash their teeth pretty loudly, and this is often a denunciation 

 of mutual resentment. 



