' - MAMMALIA. GL1RES. Hare. 279 



Lepus albus, or White Hare. Briff. quad. 139. n. 2. Aldrov. dig. 349. Wagn. helvet. 177. — 

 Lepus albiffimus. Klein, quad. 51. — Lepus candidus. Jonft. quad. 160. — Alpine Hare. Forfter, 

 Phil. Tranf. Ixii. 375. Penn. Syn. p. 249. n. 184. Brit. zool. illuft. 40. t. xlvii. — Varying Hare. 

 Penn. hift. of quad. n. 242. pi. xl. f. 1. Ar£t. zool. n. 37. 



603 /3. Spurious Varying Hare. — Lep. variab. hybridus, 6. y. 



The fides only turn white in winter. Schreber, iv. t. ccxxxv. C. 



Spurious varying Hare. Penn. hift. of quad. n. 242. a. — Ruflak. Pallas, Glir. P. i. p. 15. 



Inhabits the coldeft and moft hilly parts of Europe and Afia; as Scotland, Norway, Lapland, Ruf- 

 fia, Siberia, Kamtfchatka, Greenland, and in America about Hudlbn's Bay and Labradore — The 

 fpurious variety is a mixed breed, between the Varying and Common fpecies, which fuftains in win- 

 ter only a partial change of colour on the fides and more expofed parts of the ears and legs : It is 

 only fouud in the fouthern and weftern parts of Siberia. Sometimes in autumn the Varying Hare 

 collects in flocks of five or fix hundred ; driven from the mountains of Ruffia and Siberia, they mi- 

 grate in queft of fubfiftence into the lower country, and return again in fpring. It is larger than the 

 Common Hare by four inches in length, according to Dr Gmelin, though Mr Pennant fays that it is 

 lefs; probably thofe of Scotland are fmaller than the Ruffian. In fummer the head is of a greyifh 

 tawny; the ears and back tawny mixed flightly with black ; the neck verges to afli colour; the fides 

 grow gradually whiter from the back downwards ; and the belly is white; the foles are black and 

 very thickly clothed; fometimes, in. Siberia, they are yellow : The flefh of this fpecies is harder, drier, 

 and lefs flavoured, than that of the Common kind. The fur of the Spurious variety is very much 

 like that of the Common fpecies in winter. The Varying Hare keeps on the tops of the higheft 

 hills, and almoft never mixes with the Common fpecies; it does not run fwiftly, and takes fhelter, 

 when purfued, in the clefts of rocks ; it is eaiily tamed, and very frolicfome; is fond of honey and 

 fweetmeats; eats its own dung before a ftorm; changes to white in September, and recovers its grey 

 colour in April; and is fubject to thefe changes even when kept in a warm room : In Greenland it is . 

 always white, 



34 4. Black Hare. — Lepus niger. 



Has a very fhort tail ; the fur is entirely black, or very dark tawny, the whole yean 

 Syft. nat. ed. Gmel. 16, n. 6. p. 



Lepus niger, or Black Hare. BruT. quad. 139. n. 3. Klein, quad. 52. Penn. hift. of quad.;, 

 P- 37i- 



Inhabits Siberia, and the government of Caflan. — This is much larger than the: common kind, and 

 is very glofTy. 



Coc 5- American Hare. — 4. Lepus americanus, y. 



Has a very fhort tail; the hind legs are a half longer than the body; the tips of the- 

 ears and of the tail are grey. Erxleb. mam. 330, n. 2. Schoepf. Naturf. xx. 30, . 



liepuj 



