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May 28, 1838. 

 SIR Wm. R. HAMILTON, A.M., President, in the Chair. 



Mr. Ball read a paper, by Wm. Thompson, V. P. Nat. 

 Hist. Society of Belfast, " on the Irish Hare." {Lepus Hi- 

 bernicus.) 



This paper commenced with a review of what has been 

 written on the subject of the Irish hare, from the time it was 

 brought under the notice of English zoologists in 1833, until 

 the present period. Mr. Thompson stated, contrary to 

 what has been advanced, that the hare of England and 

 Scotland, and that of Ireland, have long been known to 

 differ ; and that in 1807 the difference in the fur of the two 

 species was alluded to as a matter of common notoriety, in 

 the MS. of the late John Templeton, Esq- He further 

 stated, that on account of their differing from the Irish 

 species, a number of hares were, upwards of thirty years 

 ago, brought from England, and turned out on the largest 

 of the Copeland Islands, off the county of Down, and that 

 many years since, the Irish hare was, for a similar reason, 

 introduced to the island of Islay, off the coast of Scotland. 



The Lepus Hibernicus is considered distinct from all 

 described species. It exhibits, in several respects, characters 

 intermediate between the British hares, L.timidus and L. varia- 

 bilis, but considered generally, more nearly approximates to 

 the former animal. 



The chief result of detailed measurements is shewn in the 

 superior length of the ears and tail of L. timidus, compared 

 with those of L. Hibernicus. The former, or common hare, 

 displays greater diversity of colour on the head, ears, and 

 body, than the Irish species, which again exhibits greater 

 variety in that of the legs. The most obvious difference in 

 colour (and which has been unnoticed by authors,) is in the tail, 



