404 THE PHILOSOPHY 



deceive, they conceal themfelves between clods of the fame colour 

 with that of their own hair. When purfued, they firft run with rapi- 

 dity, and then double, or return upon their former fleps. From the 

 place of ftarting, the females run not fo far as the males ; but they 

 double more frequently. Hares hunted in the place where they were 

 brought forth, feldom remove to a great diftance from it, but return 

 to their form; and, when chaced two days fuccefTively, on the fecond 

 day they perform the fame doublings they had pra£tifed the day be« 

 fore. When hares run ftraight out to a great diftance, it is a proof 

 that they are ftrangers. Male hares, efpecially during the moft re- 

 markable period of rutting, which is in the months of January, Fe- 

 bruary, and March, fometimes perform journies of feveral miles in 

 queft of mates; but, as foon as they are ftarted by dogs, they fly 

 back to the place of their nativity. ' I have feen a hare,' Fouilloux 

 remarks, ' fo fagacious, that, after hearing the hunter's horn, he 

 ' ftarted from his form, and, though at the diftance of a quarter of a 

 ' league, went to fwim in a pool, and lay down on the rufhes in the 

 ' middle of it, without being chaced by the dogs. I have feen a 

 ' hare, after running two hours before the dogs, pufli another from 

 ' his feat, and take poffeffion of it. I have feen others fwim over 

 ' two or three ponds, the narroweft of which was eighty paces broad. 

 ' 1 have feen others, after a two hours chace, run into a fheep-fold 

 ' and lie down among them. I have feen others, when hard puflied, 

 ' run in among a flock of fheep, and would not leave them. I have 



• feen others, after hearing the noife of the hounds, conceal them- 

 ' felves in the earth. I have feen others run up one fide of a hedge 

 ' and return by the other, when there was nothing elfe between them 

 ' and the dogs. I have feen others, after running half an hour, 

 ' mount an old wall, fix feet high, and clap down in a hole covered 



• with ivy. Laftly, 1 have feen others fwim over a river, of about 



• eighty paces broad, oftener than twice, in the length of two hun- 

 ' dred paces.' 



The 



