NOTES AND QUERIES. 75 



MAMMALIA. 



Singular conduct of a Hare.— On the 2nd September last my brother 

 and I were shooting in North Cornwall, and were trying a large uncultivated 

 close, of between twenty and thirty acres in size, in search of some birds 

 which we had just before flushed. I was at a distance of some 200 or 250 

 yards from my brother, when he kicked out a Hare, and let it go away 

 apparently unhurt. The Hare made for the only gateway, which was some 

 100 yards from me, and the whole length of the close from the Hare, but 

 in a different direction. I ran towards the gate and got within fifty yards 

 of the Hare when it was nearing the gateway. I shot at it, but without 

 effect, and the Hare ran nearly to the gateway, then turning sharp round 

 faced me, and came right back, making for the hedge behind me, where, 

 however, 1 could see no place for it to break. As it passed me I fired my 

 second barrel and killed it. My brother and J were both at a loss to know 

 what had caused the Hare to turn and face the gun instead of getting away 

 through the gateway, which was entirely open in every way. When we 

 passed through the gateway, and had gone but ten or twelve yards, my 

 brother put his foot almost on another Hare, and when she went away 

 killed her. He then found that his foot was resting on three leverets not 

 bigger than rats, and it was evident that the former Hare, being the jack, 

 had shirked the gateway so as not to run over the doe in her form. We 

 had dogs with us, but they did not chase, although probably the Hare 

 might have expected they would. I may add that, so far as we could see, 

 there was no other means of exit from the first close but the gateway, it 

 being surrounded, except in that one place, with an unusually high fence 

 and ditch on either side. — Thomas Wolferstan (29, Woolster Street, 

 Plymouth). 



Fatal Collision between two Hares. — During a day's shooting on 

 my uncle's land at Boynton Hall, near Chelmsford, about the middle of 

 December, a Hare came by its death in a most extraordinary manner. Two 

 Hares were put up together from a field. Both ran back and tried to pass 

 the beaters, but, on being shouted at, became apparently confused, and ran 

 straight at one another without looking. The result was a collision, after 

 which one Hare fell over, and its neck was found to be broken. The 

 occurrence was witnessed by my uncle's keeper and several of the beaters, 

 hut I believe none of the guns saw it. I have heard of a case in which a 

 coursed Hare killed itself by running against a clod of earth, but never 

 before have I heard of such an instance as the foregoing. — Robt. Miller 

 Christy (Saffron Walden). 



Former occurrence of the Marten in Norfolk, — I do not know 

 whether you will think it worthy of addition to the notices of Marten-cats 



