4/5 THE COMMON HARE. 



ed with ears very long and tubular, which catch the 

 remotest sounds. The eyes are so prominent as to 

 enable the animal to see both before and behind. 



The Hare feeds in the evenings, and sleeps in 

 his /o/v;? during the day; and as he generally lies 

 on the ground, his feet are protected, both above 

 and below, with a thick covering of hair. In a 

 moon-light evening many of them may frequently 

 be seen sporting together, leaping about and pur- 

 suing each other ; but the least noise alarms them, 

 and they then scamper off, each in a different di- 

 rection. Their pace is a kind of gallop, or quick 

 succession of leaps ; and they are extremely swift, 

 particularly in ascending higher grounds, to which, 

 when pursued, they generally have recourse : here 

 their larse and strong hind-le^s are of singular use 

 to them. — In northern regions, where, on the de- 

 scent of the winter's snows, they would (were their 

 summer fur to remain) be rendered particularly 

 conspicuous to animals of prey, they change their 

 yellow-grey dress in the autunm, for one perfectly 

 white ; and are thus enabled, in a great measure^ 

 to elude their enemies. 



In more temperate regions they chuse in winter a 

 form exposed to the south, to obtain all the possible 

 warmth of that season ; and in summer, when they 

 are desirous of shunning the hot rays of the sun, 

 they change this for one with a northernly aspect : 

 but in both cases they have the instinct of generally 

 fixing upon a place where the immediately surround- 

 ing objects are nearly the colour of tlieir own bo- 

 dies. 



