XLVI 



THE VARYING HARE 



It is wonderful that with such a host 

 of enemies to maintain himself against, 

 the varying hare may still be counted as 

 one of our familiar acquaintances. Ex- 

 cept in the depths of the great wilder- 

 nesses, he has no longer to fear the 

 wolf, the wolverine, the panther, and the 

 lesser felidce, but where the younger 

 woodlands have become his congenial 

 home, they are also the home of a mul- 

 titude of relentless enemies. The hawk, 

 whose keen eyes pierce the leafy roof 

 of the woods, wheels above him as he 

 crouches in his form. When he goes 

 abroad undei: the moon and stars, the 

 terrible shadow of the horned owl falls 

 upon his path, and the fox lurks beside 

 it to waylay him, and the clumsy rac- 

 coon, waddling home from a cornfield 

 revel, may blunder upon the timid way- 

 farer. 



219 



