66 BIPEDS AND QUADRUPEDS. 



hunter, I have seen a good deal of it, and should cer- 

 tainly say, that of any given number of hares startingbe- 

 fore harriers, more than half escape. We now come to 

 the timidity of the hare, which is mentioned as adding 

 to the injustice or cruelty of hunting her. It may be, 

 and is wrong, to alarm unnecessarily a timid person; 

 but where it would be held excusable to put a man 

 to death, I really do not see that his being a coward 

 could be brought forward as a plea in his favour. 

 Then as to the inoffensiveness of the hare, it is quite 

 ideal ; for though inoffensive as far as relates to 

 attack and defence, she is really more mischievous 

 than the fox. He picks up a rabbit or a fowl, 

 occasionally ; she is daily consuming the produce 

 of the farm, and the very best of it. The fox, when 

 he cannot get choicer food, consumes many living 

 things we are glad to have taken away ; the hare eats 

 nothing but that we wish to have abundance of, and 

 in young plantations is a very mischievous animal, 

 notwithstanding her timidity; and further, put her in 

 a hutch, or box, and let a lady attempt to take her 

 out, she would probably find that puss was not quite 



