CH. VI.] STAR IN HARE’S FOREHEAD. 223 
thither and forgotten, or left for a future time. 
T am a loss to conceive the inducement which leads 
the mice to bring them so far from the coverts, to 
a place where they have apparently no regular 
harbour, instead of eating them quietly in the 
shelter of the covert where they find them. 
There is a popular notion, which I believe is 
rather general, that the white star which is some- 
times seen in the Hare’s forehead is a sign that 
there were more than one in the litter. It is not 
likely that any such distinction should exist, but 
a keeper told me, in proof of the theory, that he 
had once found a litter of four, just laid down, 
all of which were thus marked. 
It is curious to observe how the approach of 
hard weather is heralded by the flocking together 
of House Sparrows in rick-yards. This was very 
noticeable in the spring of 1853, when, after the 
severe frost and snow of the winter had passed 
away, and given place to more genial weather, 
scarcely a sparrow was to be seen in the home- 
steads. Suddenly however they were again filled 
with large flocks of them, and within two days 
after, on the 19th of March, came a biting easterly 
wind and heavy fall of snow, accompanied by a 
frost of from 4° to 6°, which lasted several days. 
