THE HAKK. 27 



specimens contrasted with each otlier. At the meeting of the British 

 Association, hekl at Cork, in 1843, I briefly stated the foregoing circum- 

 stances, as noticed in the report of that year's proceedings (p. 68 of Trans, 

 of the Sections), from which the following is extracted : — 



" Mr. Thompson exhibited specimens of the Alpine hare {Lepus variabilis) 

 from the Highlands of Scotland, and of the hare of Ireland (Lepus Hibernicus), 

 for the purpose of showing that the species are identical. Of this fact he, 

 judging iVoni the external characters, satisfied himself last autumn, when in the 

 Highlands of Scotland, and subsequently proved it, by a comparison of the ana- 

 tomical characters of the two supposed species." 



The difference in habit between the latter is certainly very remark- 

 able, and will, by some naturalists, be considered sufficient to mark them 

 as distinct — the one being generally an Alpine species, and the other 

 being distributed over Ireland, from the sea-side to the mountain-tops — 

 but without a marked difference in structure I am not content to note 

 them as distinct. 



A female Alpine hare, shot at Aberarder, on 21st September, 1842, and 

 Avhich I had preserved, weighed 6 lb. 2 oz. One shot next day weighed 

 6^ lbs. These hares had no appearance of whiteness in their fur ; nor had 

 others Avhich I saw in the market of Aberdeen, in the first week of Octo- 

 ber. Their colour was dark bluish-grey. The keeper at Aberarder said 

 that the Alpine hares are often larger than the sjjecimens I have referred 

 to ; and that in winter he sees them everywhere over the actual moun- 

 tain-ground, but never on the plain, though it is but a step from the one 

 to the other. I have, however, been assured by Mr. Simpson, who had 

 charge of a sheep-farm for several years, in the south-east of Caithness, 

 that he often saw Alpine hares in the turnip fields in the low grounds. 



When in the Isle of Skye, in 1850, I fotuid that the Alpine hare 

 (Z. variuhilis) was not known to exist there. The L. tintidus had been 

 introduced to parts of the island. 



In the work of A. G. Keyserling and Professor J. H. Blasius, upon the 

 vertebrate animals of Etn-ope (" Die Wirbelthiere Europas, von A. G. 

 Keyserling and Professor J. H. Blasius, Erstes Buch, 1840"), it is re- 

 marked that Lepus Ilibcrnicus (Bell) is, according to the statements given 

 up to the present time, not different from the summer garb of the Lepus 

 ruriabilis, and does not become white in winter: — " Anmerk. Lepus 

 Hihernicus, Bell, Brit. Quad., p. 341, ist nach den bisherigen Angaben 

 von der Sommertracht des L. ruriabilis nicht unterschieden ; sol in winter 

 nicht weiss werden." In that part of the work devoted to specific charac- 

 ters, pp. 30, 31, L. variabilis and L. tiinidas are hicluded, but the term 

 Ilibernicus does not occur. 



For these particulars I am indebted to my friend Mr. Yarrcll. 



With reference to the degree of importance which should attach to the 

 variations of colour observable in Alpine hares, the following remarks of 

 Mr. Bell (Brit. Quad. p. 346) shoidd be borne in mind. Speaking of 

 the Alpine hare, he says: — "I have retained the name rariabi/is, given 

 to this species by Pallas, although that of Brisson, albus, has the priority. 

 The latter name, however, could not, with propriety, have been retained, 

 as it refers to a character which is oidy inflicted upon the animal by cir- 

 cumstances connected with climate and temperature ; there can be no 

 doubt that, were it to remain in a wild temperature durinf/ the winter, the 

 n-hite colour would never appear : as is, indeed, proved by the fact, that 

 when the M'inter is unusually mild, the coat never assumes a pure un- 

 mixed whiteness." The same author describes the Irish hare as " of a 



