THE HARE 



upper side of the tail is dusky in summer, and the whole coat, exclusive of the ear- 

 tips, turns white in winter. 



The brown hare is essentially an animal of the open country, and more 

 especially bare fields and fallows, with which its colour harmonises in a wonderful 

 degree. And there is abundant need for this protective resemblance, as the hare 

 has a host of enemies, against whom it has constantly to be on guard, and from 

 whom its sole hope of escape depends upon its limbs. All the three protective 

 senses, hearing, sight, and smell, are highly developed ; the long ears detecting 

 every audible sound, while the full, large, round eyes, with widely distended pupils, 

 catch the smallest rays of light at night, when the hare is most active. It has been 

 stated, indeed, that the eyes remain open during sleep, as the eyelids cannot be 

 completely closed ; but this is incorrect. 



Hares pass most of the day in a lair or " form," which is a smooth place 

 between tussocks of grass or other covert, but they may live out in the open. The 

 females produce at least two litters during the year, the number of leverets in which 

 usually varies from two to five, although it is stated there have been as many as 

 eleven. The young are born quite active and with their eyes open ; those which 

 come into the world in spring being capable of breeding the same autumn. The 

 mother remains with her offspring only for the first five or six days after their birth, 

 and then leaves them to shift for themselves. 



The young hares of each litter remain together till half-grown, when they 

 disperse ; in fifteen months they attain full size, and their average duration of life is 

 seven or eight years. Owing to their long hind-legs hares run much better uphill 

 than downhill. 



