28 LEPORID.E. 



uniform reddish-brown colour on the back and sides." I have already 

 shown, however, that it is subject to considerable variation in this re- 

 spect, and I have now to add the following memoranda on the same sub- 



Mr. R. Davis, in a communication dated 9th September, 1837, informed 

 me, that on the 4th of April, in that year, a hare, '• of almost a pure 

 white colour," was killed near Mitchelstown. " The face, under side of 

 paws up to knee, and a few very small spots on each side, Avere of the 

 natural colour, and a number of dark grey hairs occurred along the mid- 

 dle of the back." On the 9th Feb., 1842, the same gentleman, writing 

 from Clonmel, added, " I got this day a hare with the lower half of the 

 back, and a patch between the ears, white, and the other parts of a much 

 lighter colour than ordinary. Hares seem subject to much variety of 

 colour." During the second week of February, 1842, I saw about half a 

 dozen hares from Shane's Castle-Park (County Antrim), which were partly 

 white, especially the hinder portions, and about the head and ears. 



Richard Chute, Esq., of Blennerville (County Kerry), remarked, in 

 notes which he supplied to me some years ago, that he had, during one 

 Avinter (about 1842) observed a great number of white hares in that 

 county, owing, as he supposed, to the severity of the season. He had 

 remarked them to be much whiter in some years than others, as, indeed, 

 I have myself done. This does not accord Avith my theory, that the 

 Avhiteness is assumed Avith age. 



About the middle of January, 1845, Edmund M'Donnell, Esq., of 

 Glenarm Castle (County Antrim), presented to the Belfast Museum, in a 

 fresh state, the Avhitest Irish hare I have ever seen — even Avhiter than a 

 winter Alpine one obtained in the same season. It Avas killed on his 

 grounds. 3tlr. M'Donnell stated that this hare had been for some time 

 knoAvn to the people of the district in Avhich it lived, and that they had 

 abstained from injuring it, not on its own account, but because they con- 

 sidered that it Avould be unlucky to do so. 



On 8th ^larch, in the same year (1845), J. Crichton, Lord Roden's 

 gamekeeper, at Tollymore Park (County DoAvn), gave me the foUoAving 

 information : — " We have a great number of Avhite hares on the moun- 

 tain ; some of them snoAv-Avhite." 



In December, 1847, Mr. G. C. Hyndman saw a white hare at Masse- 

 reene deer-park (County Antrim). He AA'as informed, in reply to his in- 

 qumes, that it had been fu'st observed during the previous Avinter, and 

 had assumed in spring the ordinary broAvn colour, though of a rather 

 lighter shade, so as to individualize it amongst others. It frequented the 

 same place, and its identity was, therefore, unquestioned. 



A hare Avhich Avas entirely of a sooty black colour Avas seen by Mr. J. 

 R. Garrett, in the shop of Mr. Glennon, taxidernist, Dublin, in January, 

 1850. It had been recently sent from the County of Ivildare to be pre- 

 served. 



Fleming and Bell have described the lips of the Alpine hare of Scot- 

 land as being ahvays black. My oAA'n observations, hoAvever, accord more 

 closely Avith those of Mr. MacgilliA'ray, viz. — " lips and chin broAvnish- 

 white." 



Rutty, Avho published his Natural History of the County of Dublin in 

 1772, Avas aware of the difference in quality betAveen the furs of the 

 English and Irish hares. In vol. i. p. 280 of that Avork, he says : — 



" Lepus— The Hare. — The finer and under part of the hair, next to the skin, 

 is used in making hats, being mixed AA-ith rabbits' hair, and the avooI of vigogne. 



