218 



THE CABINET OF NATURAL HISTORY 



to the mouth, to cleanse their fur, &c. They drink by lap- 

 ping. This length of the hinder limbs also enables them to 

 ascend declivities with great speed. They feed on vegeta- 

 bles, and are very destructive to bark of young trees. 



One of the most remarkable peculiarities of this genus is 

 the difference of habits between some of the species, closely 

 allied as they are in their physical appearance. Thus, the 

 Rabbit and the Hare, although furnished with analogous or- 

 gans, and inhabiting in many instances the same countries, 

 manifest the greatest aversion for each other, a hatred which 

 M. F. Cuvier asserts nothing can obliterate, for, however 

 nearly they are assimilated in form or character, they never 

 associate; and, when they meet, a combat generally ensues, 

 which often terminates fatally to one of the parties. 



One striking point of dissimilarity between the Hare and 

 Rabbit is, that whilst the Hare merely forms a shallow hol- 

 low in the earth for her form or nest, the Rabbit excavates 

 deep and tortuous burrows. These subterranean habitations 

 have several entrances, and are inhabited by many indivi- 

 duals, though all of the same family. It has been stated by 

 those conversant with the subject, that these burrows descend 

 from generation to generation. This respect for succession 

 of property, although asserted for ages, has never been dis- 

 proved by modern zoologists, strange and almost incredible 

 as it appears to be. La Fontaine has alluded to it in one of 

 his fables: 



" Jean Lapin allegua la coutume et I'usage, 

 Ce sont leurs lois, dit il, qui m'ont de ce \ogia 

 Rendu maitre et seigneur, et qui, de pere en fils 

 L 'ait de Pierre i Simon, puis a moi Jean transmis. 



The Rabbit is thought to have been originally a native of 

 Spain, but has been common in the rest of Europe for ages. 

 By domestication the colours of this species, as of all others 

 which have been reclaimed by man, are very various, some 

 individuals being black, others lead coloured, &c. one vari- 

 ety, called Angora Rabbits, is furnished with long silky 

 hair. 



All the species of the genus Lepus hitherto discovered 

 in North America, have the habits of the Hare, though they 

 are generally called Rabbits. We will at present confine 

 our observations to the subject of our illustration, which 

 has given rise to some diversity of opinion among natural- 

 ists, though it has long been known to hunters and fur traders 

 as different from the common species. As was the case 

 with almost all the American animals resembling those of 

 the old continent, early naturalists considered it as identical 

 with the analogous European species. The first description 

 given of it in any detail is by Hearne. "The varying 

 hares are numerous, and extend as far as latitude 72° N. and 

 probably farther. They delight most in rocky and stony 



places, near the borders of woods, though many of them 

 brave the coldest winters on entirely barren ground. In 

 summer they are nearly of the colour of our English wild 

 rabbit, but in winter assume a most delicate white all over, 

 except the tips of the ears, which are black. They are, 

 when full grown, and in good condition, very large, many 

 of them weighing fourteen or fifteen pounds."* 



This account agrees very well with that of Lewis and 

 Clarke; these authors state: " The Hare on the western side 

 of the Rocky Mountains inhabits the great plains of the 

 Columbia. On the eastward of those mountains they inha- 

 bit the plains of the Missouri. They weigh from seven to 

 eleven pounds; the eye is large and prominent, the pupil of 

 a deep sea green, occupying one-third of the diameter of 

 the eye; the iris is of a bright yellow and silver colour; the 

 ears are placed far back and near each other, which the ani- 

 mal can, with surprising ease and quickness, dilate and 

 throw forward, or contract and hold upon his back at plea- 

 sure; the head, neck, and back, shoulders and outer parts of 

 the legs and thighs, are of a lead colour; the sides, as they 

 approach the belly, become gradually more white; the bel- 

 ly, breast, and inner parts of the legs and thighs are white, 

 with a light shade of lead colour; the tail is round and bluntly 

 pointed, covered with white soft fur. The colours here de- 

 scribed are those which the animal assumes from the mid- 

 dle of April to the middle of November, the rest of the 

 year he is of a pure white, except the black and reddish 

 brown of the ears, which never changes. A few reddish 

 brown spots are sometimes mixed with the white at this 

 season, (the winter,) on their heads and upper parts of their 

 necks and shoulders; the body of the animal is smaller and 

 longer, in proportion to its height, than the rabbit; when he 

 runs he conveys his tail straight behind, in the direction of 

 his body, "t 



The next person who mentioned this animal is Warden; 

 he observes, "the varying Hare, of the southern parts of 

 the United States, is distinguished from the American Rab- 

 bit, by changing from a gray brown, which is its colour in 

 spring and summer, to a full white in winter. Its ears are 

 also shorter and marked with black, and its legs more slen- 

 der. The largest varying Hares are about eighteen inches 

 long, and weigh from seven to eight pounds.'" J 



Notwithstanding these notices, the American Varying 

 Hare remained undistinguished by naturalists; or, at most, 

 was considered as a mere variety, until the publication of the 

 Fauna Americana, by Dr. Harlan, when he designated it as 

 a new species under the name of ^^ virginianus,'" giving 

 the following as its essential characters: " Grayish brown 



* Journey to tlie Northern Ocean, by Samuel Hearne, in the years 1769-72. 

 t Travels to the Pacific Ocean in 1804-6, by Captains Lewis and Clarke. 

 } Account of the United States, by D. B. Warden. 



