210 THE BROWN HARE. 



does not apply, for, whereas a wild rabbit may live 

 to become old and decrepit, a hare never does. As 

 soon as its senses begin to lose their keenness, it 

 inevitably falls a victim to one or other of its foes. 

 A rabbit can seek the shelter of mother-earth, and 

 becoming conscious of its enfeebled state, it ceases 

 to wander far afield, remaining always near to some 

 place of sanctuary. Not so the hare. When old 

 age comes upon him, he must still sally forth into 

 the open, meeting his foes on their own ground ; 

 and the day of his first and last failure inevitably 

 dawns with the falling off of his powers. 



The average hare is well past its prime at nine ; 

 it is old at ten ; and few, if any, live to see twelve. 



WEIGHT. 



The mean weight of the brown hare is between 

 7 and 9 Ib. A 9-lb. hare is a good one ; and 11-lb. 

 hares are occasionally heard of, though seldom 

 bagged. 



