226 OBSERVATIONS ON THE CHANGES OF 



nus)^ in his Fauna Boreali-Americana, where he expresses a belief, 

 founded on examination of many specimens, that "the change to the 

 winter dress is produced, not by the shedding of its hair, but by a 

 lengthening and blanching of the summer fur." 



From these opinions I am obliged to dissent, for the reasons already 

 advanced, and the evidence I shall proceed to adduce. 



There are but four quadrupeds yet found in our country, the Polar 

 Hare, Northern and Prairie Hares (Lepus pampestris, Bach.), and the 

 Ermine, in which these mutations are very striking. Let us now exa- 

 mine this peculiarity in some of these, and one or two other of our qua- 

 drupeds, and we shall be able to judge how far this theory is calculated 

 to maintain its ground among naturalists. 



Lepus glacialis, Polar Hare. I have had no other opportunity of 

 becoming acquainted with the changes of colour to which this fine 

 Hare is subject, than that afforded by a specimen which was kindly 

 presented me by Audubon ; but this, in itself, affords sufficient evi- 

 dence on which an opinion may be grounded with safety. The ani- 

 mal was purchased in the flesh by our distinguished American orni- 

 thologist, from an Indian, at Newfoundland, on the 15th of August 

 1833. At that early season, then, in the cold regions of the north, 

 this change from its summer to winter colours takes place. The spe- 

 cimen before me is in that interesting stage when the summer fur had 

 commenced dropping off, and the white winter dress was fast advanc- 

 ing to resume its place. This, as far as has been ascertained, is the only 

 specimen, in summer colour, that exists in any collection. The speci- 

 mens brought home by Dr Richardson, Captain Parry, and the other 

 adventurous explorers of our polar regions were all in the white pelage 

 of winter. Its summer colour is grayish brown above, with conspicu- 

 ously black ears. In winter the hairs all become snowy white, even 

 to the roots. In the specimen now before me there is a large spot, 

 nearly a hand's breadth, of pure white on the back, extending nearly to 

 the insertion of the tail ; three or four white spots, of about an inch in 

 diameter, also exist on the sides. The hairs forming these spots are 

 shorter than the surrounding furj a few longer hairs of the summer 

 dress are still interspersed, which had not yet dropped off. The short, 

 white hairs are, in several places, seen pushing forward, whilst the sur- 



