THE HARE. 219 



"The scented dew 



Betrays her early labyrinth : and deep 

 In scattered sullen openings, far behind, 

 With every breeze, she hears the coming storm ; 

 But nearer, and more frequent, as it loads 

 The sighing gale, she springs amazed, and all 

 The savage soul of game is up at once." 



The hare is capable of domestication. One, it is 

 said, became so familiar as to feed from the hand, lie 

 under a chair in a common sitting-room, and appear in 

 every other respect as easy and comfortable as a lap- 

 dog. Now and then it went into the garden, but 

 after regaling itself always returned to the house as 

 its proper habitation. Its usual companions were a 

 grey-hound and a spaniel, both so fond of hare-hunt- 

 ing that they went out together, without the company 

 of any person. The tame hare spent its evenings 

 with these two dogs ; they always slept on the same 

 hearth, and very frequently it would rest itself upon 

 them. 



The most interesting account, however, ever yet 

 penned, of domesticated hares, is the following, by our 

 eminent and Christian poet Cowper : " I undertook," 

 he says, " the care of three, which it is necessary that 

 I should here distinguish by the names I give them 

 Puss, Tiney, and Bess. Notwithstanding the two femi- 

 nine appellatives, I must inform you that they were all 



