THE ALPINE OR WHITE HARE. 95 



I put up one, on the 16th of last March, when 

 inspecting the heather-burning on my moor, which (con- 

 trary to their usual practice) kept watching, and allowed 

 me, several times, to come within a hundred yards. I 

 was at first surprised, but the explanation soon occurred 

 to me, that it had young ones in the heather. I had thus 

 a good opportunity of noticing the commencement of its 

 change of colour. The head was quite grey, and the 

 back nearly so ; which parts are the last to lose, as well 

 as the first to put on the summer dress. I shot one 

 nearly in the same stage, on the 22d of last November. 

 The only difference was, that the whole coat of the for- 

 mer appeared less pure. This is easily accounted for, as 

 in winter the creature, though receiving a fresh acces- 

 sion of hair, loses none of the old, which also becomes 

 white; whereas in spring it casts it all, like other 

 animals. Thus, by a merciful provision, its winter 

 covering is doubly thick ; 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 ap- 

 pearance; 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 dinginesss of its 





