TOWNSEND'S ROCKY MOUNTAIN HARE. 29 



old individuals ; one of them was however cut in two by the ball, and left 

 on the spot. The hair, or fur, of this individual was slightly curled, as in 

 the young one, especially along the back and sides, but shortly after the 

 skins had been prepared this character disappeared. These specimens 

 are no^v in our collection. 



Pursuing our journey up the tortuous and rapid stream, we had not 

 the good fortune to see any more of these beautiful animals until after 

 our arrival at Fort Union, near the mouth of the Yellow Stone river, 

 where we established ourselves for some time, by the kind permission of 

 the gentlemen connected with the fur trade. 



On the 29th of Jul}', on our return from a buffalo-hunt, when we were 

 some forty or fifty miles from the fort, suddenly a fine hare leaped from 

 the grass before us, and stopped within twenty paces. Our friend, Ed- 

 ward Harris, Esq., was with us, but his gun was loaded with ball, and 

 ours with large buck-shot, intended for killing antelopes ; we fired at it, 

 but missed : a^vay it ■went, and ran around a hill, Mr. Harris followed, 

 and its course being seen by Mr. Bell, who observed " Pussy," stealing 

 carefully along, with her ears low down, trying to escape the quick eyes 

 of her pursuers, the former gentleman came up to and shot her. 



This species, like all others of the same family, is timid and fearful in 

 the extreme. Its speed, we think, far surpasses that of the European 

 hare, (L. timidus.) 



If the fo]-m is indicative of character, this animal, from its slender 

 body, long hind legs, and great length of tarsus, must be the fleetest 

 of the hares of the West. 



These hares generally place or construct their forms under a thick wil- 

 low bush, or if at a distance from the water-courses on the banks of 

 which those trees grow, or when they are in the open prairie, they place 

 them under the edge of some rock, or seek the shelter of a stone, or large 

 tuft of grass. 



The Rocky Mountain Hare produces from four to six young in the 

 year. As far as we have been able to ascertain, it has but one litter. 

 The young suck and follow the dam for about six weeks, after which she 

 turns them oS", and leaves them to provide for themselves. The flesh of 

 this species resembles in flavour that of the European hare, but is white, 

 instead of dark-coloured, as is the case with the latter. 



GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. 



Although the eiltire geographical range of this species has not been 

 well defined, yet it must be very considerable. It is found in great 

 numbers, long ere the western traveller has passed the prairies, on th^ 



