Winter Fauna of Mount Marcy, 



19 



Once this winter I came upon a spot where a sable had 

 killed a rabbit, evidently by seizing it by the throat and 

 opening its veins. From the scene of slaughter a deep 

 gouge-like depression in the snow, with footprints, showed 

 where the sable had drawn away its quarry. 



Tracks of the ermine, Fuiorius noveboracensis were re- 

 cognized in one place but it does not appear to be common ; 

 nor were the tracks of other weasel distinctly recognized. 



And now we come to the rabbit, as it is popularly called, 

 more properly known as the white or varying hare — Lepus 

 americanus. Poor creature, it seems but created to be de- 

 stroyed, yet is so abundant as to bear the inroads of its 

 foes without apparent diminution. Timid and harmless, 

 it seems to have the widest or most extensive range of any 

 of the animals of North America, being found throughout 

 nearly the whole of the British possessions from the Atlan- 

 tic to the Pacific. As a true, varying hare, that is, annu- 

 ally changing its color, it seems to be confined to the 

 districts of cold winters, and has everywhere the character 

 of an inhabitant of boreal regions. The wonderful provi- 

 sion of nature, by which it is as well secured from obser- 

 vation in winter as in summer, is its most noticeable 

 characteristic ; and it is the more to be remarked, as with 

 the exception of the ermine and weasel, it seems to be the 

 only varying animal inhabiting the State. In 1872, in 

 September, I captured a living specimen on the summit 

 of Whiteface mountain at an altitude of 4,900 feet. It 

 was then of an even fawn-brown color and showed no siscn 

 of change. Early in November, in 1873, we met with 

 many already turned entirely white, the snow having 

 gained a depth of from a foot to eighteen inches. One or 

 two glimpses of them this winter served to show that they 

 were more like scudding snow than any animated thing. 

 Their range upon Mount Marcy does not appear to extend 

 above five thousand feet, while upon the Rocky mountains 

 of our great west, I met with them at an altitude of 12,000 



