94 GAME ANIMALS OF NORTH AMERICA. 



may be mentioned the following, Lepus sylvaticus, the ubiquitous 

 cotton tail found generally distributed throughout almost all sec- 

 tions of the United Stales. L. americanus, the common large 

 Hare of the east and north-east, which changes its coat in spring 

 and fall. L. ftmidus var. arcticus, the gjeat northern Hare, L. 

 campestris, the " Jack Rabbit " of the plains, L. callotis, the " Jack 

 Rabbit of Texas and California, and two southern swamp species, 

 L. palustris and L. aquaiicus. Of these, the species which change 

 color on the approach of winter are L. americamis, L. campestris, 

 and L. timidus var. arcticus. Pending the complete change from 

 the summer brown to the snowy white coat of winter, the animal 

 presents a very singular mottled appearance. 



Hares are becoming a very important article of commerce, and 

 during the winter season tons of them are daily shipped to our 

 principal markets from all quarters. They are sold at cheap rates, 

 and are frequently peddled around the streets by the cart load at 

 astonishingly low figures. 



The methods of pursuit and capture of these animals are very 

 numerous, but of the most common and successful, three may be 

 mentioned ; viz. : trailing in the snow with dogs, hounding, and 

 coursing. To trail hares in the winter, one must have dogs with 

 fair noses, and a light fall of from two to four inches of snow must 

 have been deposited the night previous to an early morning start. 

 Two or more hunters start out equipped thus with dogs and guns. 

 Thickets of elder and blackberry are sought where the game is 

 knovim to lie. A hunter skirts each border of a patch and the 

 dogs are sent in. As soon as the hares are started, the dogs fol- 

 low the trail and drive them from cover, and on emerging from the 

 brush they give the gunner the best of chances. We have known 

 of forty hares haWng been killed in following in this manner, a mile 

 of hedge. Where the ground is rocky, they will try to hide by run- 

 ning into any hole or crevice which may offer an asylum. 



Hounding hares is generally carried on in much the same man- 

 ner as deer driving. The hunters are stationed at various points 

 on the paths, for hares, like deer and foxes, follow reg^ar beaten 

 tracks. The hounds start the game from belts of pine, cedar oi 

 hemlock. Each hunter waits for the animals to pass his station, 

 and in case he is in a lucky place the shot is fired as bunny goes 



