RODENTS 87 



without noticing the animal, the white of the belly and underside of the 

 tail being concealed. So long as it is of any use the hare sits still. 



3. When, however, no longer able to conceal himself, he takes 

 to flight (or " to his heels," as the saying is). In running he really 

 executes a succession of long leaps. The hare is adapted for this mode 

 of progress by the following arrangements : 



(a) Its slender shape, by which it is enabled easily to cut through the 

 air (compare with wolf). To diminish resistance to the air as much . 

 as possible, the long ears in running are laid backwards, which at the 

 same time enables it to judge of what goes on behind it. 



(b) By a sudden stretching of the long and powerful hind-legs, which 

 are always moved together, the body is propelled a considerable distance 

 (compare with cat). Even the slowest movement of the hare is a jump. 

 This great length of the hind-legs also enables the hare to run up a hill 

 with ease, but in running downhill it is very apt to tumble. (Locate the 

 position of its centre of gravity.) 



(e) The vertebral column is very flexible (see under " Cat," p. 27, 

 where it is compared to a cane). This is a great advantage to it in 

 leaping, and also enables it easily to alter the direction of its course — to 

 " double," as it is called — when an enemy, e.g., dog, comes too close. 

 (Explain the importance of " doubling.") 



(d) By means of its powerfully clawed toes it is able to obtain 

 a firm foothold among the inequalities of the ground when taking its 

 spring. 



(e) The tail is short, not being used as an aid in leaping, as in the 

 case of arboreal animals like the squirrel or marten, nor as a means of 

 support, as in the kangaroo. 



4. All these various protective arrangements, however, would fail 

 to save the hare from extermination were it not for its extreme 

 fecundity. From April to August the female brings forth young 

 four or five times, and from two to five at a birth. Thus, there is a 

 saying in Germany : " For every hare that goes into the fields in spring, 

 sixteen return in the autumn." If they continued to multiply un- 

 hindered in this manner, a single pair would in a few years increase to 

 millions (show by calculation). The result would be a complete devasta- 

 tion of our fields. The female hare, however, is a careless mother, with 

 the result that many of the young perish, while the weather and numerous 

 enemies largely reduce the number of the survivors. 



C. Mode of Life and Food. 



1. Being weak and helpless, it naturally follows that the hare is also 

 a timid creature. During the day it rests in some safe hiding-place in a 



