THE BLUE On MOUNTAIN HARE. 213 



the animals will migrate from one range to an- 

 other, or from the heights to the more sheltered 

 levels, and at such times quite a string of them 

 may be seen moving in company, apparently enjoy- 

 ing each other's society by jumping and skipping 

 together. 



If the white coat of the blue hare were intended 

 for protective purposes, nature would seem to have 

 made a badj'auxpas. True that during the winter 

 months the hills of this creature's habitat are 

 generally white ; but if there is a black spot any- 

 where, such as under the shelter of an overhanging 

 rock, any white hare in the vicinity is sure to go 

 and sit on it, vastly conspicuous from afar. Also, 

 the hares naturally seek out any patch on the hill- 

 side that is wind-swept of snow, so that when pro- 

 tection is most needed namely, when they are at 

 their feeding-grounds, or when basking in the day- 

 light they are more likely to be rendered con- 

 spicuous by their ' protective colouring ' than they 

 are to derive protection from it, especially when 

 it is borne in mind that the most deadly of the 

 snow-hare's natural foes are the eagle and the 

 peregrine. 



RANGE. 



Normally the blue hare and the brown do not 

 interbreed, though their ranges considerably over- 

 lap. I have known brown hares to live the season 

 through at an altitude of sixteen hundred feet, 

 coming down to feed during the winter months in 

 the valley-levels, but immediately returning to the 

 heights when disturbed. Two thousand feet is 

 probably the topmost altitude of the brown hare's 

 range, except during hot summer months, when it 

 may mount to an altitude of two thousand five 



