POLAR OR WHITE HARE. 275 



very scarce, being very thickly furred. The White Hare 

 was met with in the late Polar Expedition as far north as 

 82 27'. A burrow, about 4 feet in length, was discovered, 

 which had been dug out horizontally in a snowdrift. 



This Hare is grey in summer, growing whiter in the 

 autumn, and in the winter it is pure white. The ground- 

 colour changes by degrees from the drab and red shades 

 to faint slate and pink, and then merges into pure white. 

 The chief quantities of Hare skins imported are those 

 of the Eussian Hare (Lepus glacialis), from 2,000,000 to 

 5,000,000 being collected annually. Many of these are 

 sent from Siberia, and have mostly their thick white 

 winter coat, but some are grey or red grounded, and are 

 only suitable for cutting. Others, again, have the 

 merest vestige of grey hairs. 



From 50,000 to 100,000 carcases are sent to this 

 country annually, with the skin on, the bodies being 

 used for food. A 20s. fine is imposed when it is sold 

 out of season. A large quantity of these skins are used 

 for fur purposes, both natural white, in imitation of 

 White Fox, and dyed lynx colour, brown, dark brown, 

 black, and snowflake. The peculiar dye called snow- 

 flake is effected by passing a solution of wax over the 

 points of fur, and then dyeing the under fur a beautiful 

 brown. The tips of the hairs thus retain their natural 

 white colour. The wax covering is removed, the skins 

 are cleaned, and the fur has then a beautiful appearance, 

 somewhat like the Silver Fox. 



Many skins are clipped, and then dyed' black, brown, 

 and snowflake. 



The dyeing is chiefly done in France and Leipsic. 

 Some Hare skins are made into linings in Eussia and 

 China, and in the latter country a few are dyed in imita- 

 tion of Kitt Fox. 



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