THE r.AEBET. 481 



this animal be brought into a house, and even kept 

 in stoved apartments, yet it srill change?- its colour at 

 the same periods as when among its native mountains. 



In some parts of Siberia the Varying Hares col- 

 lect together in such multitudes, that flocks of five 

 or six hundred of them m^ay be seen migrating in 

 spring, and returning in the autiimn. Want ct 

 sustenance compels them to this : in winter they 

 therefore quit the lofty hills, the southern bounda- 

 ries of Siberia, and seek the plains and northern 

 wooded parts, where vegetables abound; and to- 

 wards spring they again return to their niountainous 

 quarters *. 



In th^ir white state the flesh is extremely insipid. 



THE RABBET '(~. 



The Rabbet lives in holes in the earth, wdiere she 

 brings forth her young. The fecundity of this ani- 

 mal is truly astonishing. It breeds seven tmies in 

 the year, and generally produces seven or eight 

 young ones at a time. Supposing this to happen re- 

 gularly for about four yrars, the progeny from a 

 single pair will amount to more than a iiidhon^ 

 Their numerous enemies prevent any increase likely 

 to prove injurious to mankind; for l)eslcles their af- 

 fording food to us, they are devoured also by animals 



♦ Penn. Quad. ii. 371. 

 t Synonyms. — T.cpus Cuniculu^. Lmv. — La;nn Sauva;e. B'fjihi. 

 — Cuney. Ro</. S/hnr'; Gcii. Zool p.'. im.-^liixv. 'Jluad. 311, i3i3. 



Vol. L ' I i 



