THE IRISH HARE 331 



in September 1910, nor yet another weighing 7 lbs. in November of the 

 same year ; in all these the skull was found to be immature. 



In winter the animal is to a variable, but, as a rule minor, extent 

 white. The rump, flanks, legs, and backs of the ears are most frequently 

 whitened, the face is often affected and the eyes ringed. Rarely (yet 

 sometimes even so far south as Wexford or Waterford) the whole upper 

 surface becomes almost white, leaving only portions of the head brown. 

 Usually " islands " of brown colour remain on the back, and the con- 

 stantly present sprinkling of reddish hairs serves to distinguish the 

 Irish from the Scottish Hare. 



The feet (see Plates xix. and xx.) are not so thickly furred as in L. t. 

 scoticus. 



Winter •whitening: — In 1746 white hares were mentioned by 

 Charles Smith {op. cit. supra, p. 326) ; and, since the time of William 

 Thompson, the fact has been well known that the Irish Hare may 

 and often does undergo a considerable change in winter. This takes 

 place to some extent every year as well as all over the country, but 

 frequently escapes notice except in its more conspicuous stages. In 

 spite of this, the statement has often been made until quite recently 

 that the Irish Hare does not turn white in winter. 



Thompson gave instances of whitening occurring in hares from the 

 north-east to the south-west of Ireland. The whitest he had ever 

 seen was sent to the Belfast Museum from Glenarm Castle, Co. Antrim, 

 in January 1845. It was "even whiter than a winter Alpine one 

 obtained in the same season." In a note sent to Robert Patterson by 

 Lord Antrim from the same locality, it is stated that in the cold, 

 snowy winter of 1878-79 large numbers of hares of all ages turned 

 "completely" white, both on the hills and the low grounds, and 

 remained so until the end of April. Thompson also mentions a " white 

 hare" seen in Massareene deer park in the same county in December 

 1847; this individual had been white in the previous winter. That 

 these were not isolated instances is shown by a report received by 

 Thompson from Tollymore Park, Co. Down, on Sth March 1845, that 

 there were "a great number of white hares on the mountain ; some of 

 them snow-white"; and in February 1842 Thompson had himself 

 inspected several partially white hares from Shane's Castle Park in Co. 

 Antrim. F. J. Montgomery also wrote {Field, i6th March 1907, 445), 

 that hares very often turn white in Co. Antrim, particularly on the 

 mountains and in severe winters. From the south of Ireland Thompson 

 had reports of two killed in an advanced stage of whitening, near 

 Clonmel, between Cos. Tipperary and Waterford, and near Mitchells- 

 town on the Tipperary border of Co. Cork. He had also a record 

 of the occurrence of winter whitening, although irregularly, in 

 Co. Kerry. 



