156 THE ALPINE OR WHITE HARE. 



while at the same time, being the colour of snow, (with 

 which our hills are generally whitened at that time of 

 year,) it can more easily elude its numerous foes. The 

 same remark applies to the ptarmigan. 



During a mild winter, when the ground is free from 

 snow, the white hare invariably chooses the thickest patch 

 of heather it can find, as if aware of its conspicuous 

 appearance ; and to beat all the bushy tufts on the side 

 and at the foot of rocky hills, at such a time, affords the 

 best chance of a shot. The purity or dinginess of its 

 colour is a true criterion of the severity or mildness of the 

 season. If the winter is open, I have always remarked 

 that the back and lower part of the ears retain a shade of 

 the fawn-colour ; if, on the contrary, there is much frost and 

 snow, the whole fur of the hare is very bright and silvery, 

 with scarcely a tint of brown. When started from its 

 form, I have constantly observed that it never returns, 

 evidently knowing that its refuge has been discovered. It 

 will sometimes burrow in the snow, in order to scrape for 

 food, and avoid the cold wind, as well as for security. 

 These burrows are not easily discovered by an unaccus- 



On the 2d of December I shot another couple : the lower part of the 

 body and hind-legs were like swan's down, the back and sides grizzled, 

 and the only unchanged parts were the crown of the head and cheeks. 

 The last day I went after them was on the 15th of December, when I 

 wished to ascertain whether the change was quite complete. On that day 

 I killed two hares and a leveret, and was astonished to find that one of the 

 former was in the same stage as those shot on the 2d of December; 

 while the change in the other hare and in the leveret was complete, except 

 indeed a shading of grey on the back, which is never purely white but in 

 the depth of the severest winters. 



