THE EASX. 



quietly out of sigM in one direction wbUe the dogs pnrsne 

 another. It has even been known to start a fresh hare, leav- 

 ing it to the tender mercies of the hunters, while she sqnats 

 securely in the deluded creature's form. 



Length of Umb and freedom from fat enable ihe hare to 

 make tremendous speed, and to venture leaps calculated to 

 daunt the most enthusiastie dog. It haa been seen to leap a 

 perpendicular wall eight feet in height. They, however, are 

 not methodical in running, and frequently edaust their strength 

 with the first burst. 



Hares take to the water with the greatest readiness. In- 

 stances of their crossing brooks and rivulets, in their endea- 

 vours to balk their pursuers, are plentiful enough ; but here is 

 a story — Mr. Tarrel teUs it — of hares putting out to sea for 

 the fun of the thing : — " A harbour of great extent on our 

 southern coast has an island near the middle, of considerable 

 size, the nearest point of which is a mile distant from the 

 mainland at high watra-, and with which point there is frequent 

 communication by a ferry. Early one morning in spring, two 

 hares were observed to come down from the hills of the main- 

 land towards the sea-side ; one of which from time to time left 

 its companion, and proceeding to the very edge of the water, 

 stopped there a nmrnte or two and then returned to its mate. 

 The tide was risiag ; and after waiting some time, one of them, 

 exactly at high water, took to the sea, and swam rapidly over 

 in a, straight line to the opposite prelecting point «£ land. 

 The observer on this occasion, who was near to the spot, but 

 remained nnperceived by the hares, had no doubt they were 

 of different sexes, and iliat it was the m^e that had swam 

 across the water, as he had 'doubtless done many times befor«. 

 It was remarkable that the hares remained on the shore nearly 

 half an hour ; one of them occa^onally examining the state of 

 the current, and ultimately taking to the sea at that precise 

 period of the tide called slack water, when the passage across 

 could be effected without being carried by the foree of the 

 stream either above or below the desired point of landing. The 

 other hare then cantered back to the hills." 



Who wUl dare speak against the hare after this ? Wio 

 will impeach his courage, or deny that he is a gallant fellow P 

 What a catalogue of virtues the above litUe narrative — nay, 

 romance — reveals this hare to possess ! That he was a hare 

 respected by his friends — and doubtlessly deservedly respected 

 —is shown by the fact that his father or brother — ^nay, per- 



