242 NATURAL HISTORY IN ANECDOTE, 



only safety is in flight and in the sagacity and cunning it 

 shows in eluding its pursuers. Many illustrations of the latter 

 have been recorded. Fouilloux mentions a hare which he 

 saw start from its form at the sound of a hunter's horn, 

 run towards a pool of water at a considerable distance, plunge 

 in and swim to some rushes in the middle, and there lay down 

 and conceal itself from the pursuit of the dogs. Another 

 hare, when closely pressed passed under a gate, the dogs 

 leaping over it. The hare quickly perceived the advantage 

 it had gained by this, and so doubled, returning under the 

 gate, the dogs following over it as before. This was repeated 

 several times until taking advantage of the exhaustion of the 

 dogs the hare escaped. The hare will often run perfectly 

 straight while in view of the hounds, but immediately on 

 gaining the slightest cover will double, and redouble with 

 astonishing rapidity, apparently to confuse the scent. 



The following anecdote seems to show remark - 

 Intelllgenoe able intelligence on the part of a hare. It is 

 of the from a statement made by Mr. Yarrell in the 

 " Magazine of Natural History " : — " 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 water, 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 mainland towards the seaside, one of 

 which from time to time left its companion, and proceeding 

 to the very edge of the water, stopped there a minute or 

 two, and then returned to its mate. The tide was rising, 

 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 projecting point of land. The observer 

 on this occasion, who was near the spot, but remained 

 imperceived by the hares, had no doubt that they were of 

 different sexes, and that it was the male — like another Lpan- 



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