HARES. 47 



mon in the same regions, and I hardly need to 

 say how black they are. For them to change 

 would serve no useful purpose, for they very 

 largely live on dead carcasses cast up by the 

 waves, or on young birds in their nests, or their 

 eggs. The polar bear remains white in all 

 seasons, and that color may well be the work of 

 natural selection, but the change of color is a 

 subject that needs more light thrown on it by 

 careful study. 



It would seem to be the most in line with 

 observations that the change of color is due to 

 the effect of cold on the fur, by which it reflects 

 all the light instead of a portion of it. That the 

 change is beneficial to the hares is very certain, 

 but that it was brought about for their benefit 

 is not at all clear. It would be a good thing 

 for our partridges, but they have got along 

 without it, although their cousins, the ptarmi- 

 gans of Newfoundland and Quebec, have the 

 advantage of this seasonal change of color. It 

 may be asked, of what benefit is it to inquire 

 about such matters ? Why not say, God willed 

 it that hares should turn white in winter and 

 brown in summer? If a very ingenious man 

 made a wonderful piece of machinery and 

 showed it to me, and I merely remarked that I 

 knew he was clever enough to make such a 



