THE AMERICAN HARE. 32S 



anxious care of its parent for protection and support during 

 some considerable time after birth. 



The flesh also of the Hare and Rabbit are quite dissimilar ; 

 the former when boiled is dark, the latter white ; there is also a 

 gamy flavor about the one that the other does not possess. 



The Rabbit is a lively, frolicsome little animal, delighting 

 to pop in and out of its burrow at all hours of the day, to bask 

 for a few moments in the sun, and collect something to eat, and 

 then away at the slightest token of alarm to the depths of their 

 subterranean abode. 



The Hare is a timid, lonely creature, sitting motionless for 

 hours, crouched up within its /on??, a mere space the size of the 

 animal upon the open ground, or perhaps snugly stowed away 

 under a pile of brush, stones, or rubbish of any description what- 

 ever. 



The Rabbit, when pursued by Dogs, takes to his burrow as 

 the only secure refuge. 



The Hare, on the contrary, trusts in a great measure to his 

 speed and cunning to insure his safety ; and when pursued by 

 Dogs, the American species resort to the same method of escap- 

 ing froin their enemies as the English variety — that is, doubling. 

 The construction of the hind legs is also the same in the one as 

 in the other, being not less than ten inches in length, which is 

 large in proportion to the size of the body ; those of the Rabbit 

 are much smaller. 



The American Hare has from three to five young at a litter, 

 sometimes six and rarely seven. If it were not for the won- 

 derful fecundity of this animal, the whole race would soon be- 

 come extinct, from the constant and never-ceasing depredations 

 of its numerous enemies. Nature, however, wise in all her 

 plans, compensates for the waste on one side by an extraordi- 

 nary fruitfulness on the other, thus balancing the losses from 

 destruction by that of reproduction, in a ratio which is always 

 sufficient to insure the prolonged existence of the race. 



The Hare is peculiarly adapted for speed, not only on account 

 of the general muscularity of its body, but also from the pecu- 

 liar construction of its hind limbs, which, being so very long, 

 assist the animal greatly in going up hill, in fact, gives it con- 

 siderable advantage over the pursuer, and which it, from cun- 



