2S8 LEPORID^— LEPUS 



(Bury, More), Anglesey, and Man ; but in the latter introduction 

 may be suspected, although no records of it exist. It is not found 

 in Lundy. Alston states that it does not appear to be indigenous 

 in any of the Scottish islands, but it has been very generally intro- 

 duced, as in Bute, Great Cumbrae, Arran, Islay (previous to 1816), Jura 

 (Millais), Mull, Calve (Millais), Tiree, Coll (about 1787), Skye (Millais),and 

 probably many others (Alston, Boyd Watt, Harvie-Brown and Buckley, 

 Millais). To Mull it was introduced in 1814 or 1815 (Alston); but in 

 189s MacLaine of Lochbuie wrote {Ann. Scott. Nat. Hist., 1895, 250), 

 that, although it was at one time plentiful, and throve well until a few 

 years previously, it had then completely disappeared, in spite of the fact 

 that fresh blood was imported on several occasions. That writer was at 

 a loss to account for its total disappearance, and suggested that the want 

 of cropping had had much to do with it. One, supposed to be the last 

 of its race, shot in Mull on 13th December 1882, weighed 12 lbs., a 

 weight which does not suggest deterioration. 



In the Outer Hebrides the Brown Hare has been introduced on 

 many occasions, as, for instance, in Lewis, Harris, and Barray, and its 

 numbers have fluctuated from time to time, apparently in accordance 

 with the amount of protection accorded to it by game preservers (see 

 Harvie-Brown and Buckley). In the Orkneys it is now common 

 (Harvie-Brown and Buckley), and has been introduced on Mainland 

 (Pomona), as well as in Hoy, Eday, Rousay, Shapinshay, and South 

 Ronaldshay (Millais). It is believed to have died out on Papa Westray 

 (Harvie-Brown and Buckley). 



In the Shetlands it was introduced early in the last century, and 

 occurs on Mainland from Dunrossness to Mossbank (Millais). 



It has been introduced into many parts of Ireland, and in 1898 

 it was possible to give details {Irish Naturalist, 1898, 69-76) of twelve 

 such introductions. The imported animals succeeded in establishing 

 themselves wherever they were given a fair chance. One of the 

 most conspicuous instances was that of Strabane, where in 1876 

 65 hares are said to have been brought over from Norfolk. 

 They throve very well, and in 1 893 there was " a splendid stock of 

 hares" (Herdman, Land and Water, 4th March 1893), the descen- 

 dants of which still remain in numbers about Strabane, and are 

 even said to be the only kind of hares found in that neighbourhood 

 (D. Ker, in lit., i6th December 1910). 



Distribution in time : — Bones of hares have been described from 

 numerous cave-deposits extending back to the pleistocene age. These 

 have been variously identified with L. europczus, or, as from a 

 Somerset cave, by Sanford {Quart. Journ. GeoL Soc, London, xxvi., 1870, 

 126, pi. viii., f. 5 ; and Proc. Somerset. Nat. Hist. Soc, xv., 1870, 53, 

 pi. S), with H. von Meyer's L. diluvianus {Palceologica, 1832, 61). 



