﻿70 
  THE 
  VEETEBEATE 
  FAUNA 
  OF 
  " 
  DEE." 
  

  

  that 
  it 
  would 
  have 
  been 
  October 
  before 
  they 
  could 
  have 
  " 
  seen 
  

   the 
  light." 
  This 
  then 
  would 
  indicate 
  that 
  the 
  Hare 
  is 
  much 
  

   more 
  prolific 
  than 
  is 
  generally 
  supposed. 
  

  

  Lepus 
  variabillis, 
  Pallas. 
  "Alpine 
  Hare." 
  "Mountain 
  

   Hare." 
  "White 
  Hare." 
  "Blue 
  Hare." 
  

  

  This 
  animal 
  is 
  common 
  on 
  all 
  the 
  high 
  ranges 
  within 
  

   " 
  Dee," 
  from 
  the 
  interior 
  of 
  the 
  district 
  right 
  down 
  to 
  the 
  

   Hill 
  of 
  Mormond, 
  near 
  the 
  most 
  easterly 
  point 
  of 
  Scotland. 
  

  

  While 
  confining 
  itself 
  to 
  the 
  high 
  grounds 
  during 
  summer, 
  

   the 
  White 
  Hare 
  is 
  often 
  compelled 
  by 
  the 
  winter 
  storms 
  to 
  

   seek 
  shelter 
  and 
  food 
  in 
  the 
  low 
  grounds. 
  

  

  In 
  summer, 
  when 
  in 
  its 
  dark 
  dress, 
  this 
  Hare 
  is 
  often 
  the 
  

   only 
  sign 
  of 
  life 
  the 
  wanderer 
  may 
  see 
  on 
  the 
  mountain 
  tops. 
  

   In 
  such 
  situations, 
  I 
  have 
  often 
  startled 
  it 
  from 
  its 
  " 
  form," 
  

   when 
  it 
  would 
  run 
  for 
  a 
  few 
  yards, 
  and 
  then 
  sit 
  bolt 
  upright 
  

   and 
  gaze 
  wonderingly 
  at 
  the 
  intruder 
  ; 
  bound 
  off 
  for 
  a 
  few 
  

   yards 
  more 
  and 
  again 
  sit 
  up 
  ; 
  look 
  around 
  it 
  for 
  a 
  little, 
  

   and 
  then 
  "hirple" 
  away 
  at 
  leisure. 
  As 
  an 
  article 
  of 
  food, 
  

   the 
  White 
  Hare 
  cannot 
  be 
  compared 
  with 
  the 
  Brown 
  one 
  ; 
  

   and, 
  as 
  to 
  numbers, 
  this 
  " 
  child 
  of 
  the 
  mountain 
  wild 
  " 
  seems 
  

   to 
  be 
  stationary, 
  for 
  no 
  change 
  either 
  of 
  increase 
  or 
  decrease 
  

   has 
  been 
  observable 
  during 
  the 
  past 
  forty 
  years. 
  

  

  Lepus 
  coniculus, 
  Linn. 
  Rabbit. 
  "Coney." 
  " 
  Mappy." 
  

  

  " 
  Cunning." 
  

  

  The 
  Rabbit 
  is 
  not 
  mentioned 
  in 
  the 
  0. 
  S. 
  A. 
  as 
  being 
  in 
  the 
  

   counties 
  of 
  Aberdeen 
  and 
  Kincardine. 
  

  

  Skene 
  Keith, 
  in 
  his 
  General 
  View 
  of 
  the 
  Agriculture 
  of 
  

   Aberdeenshire, 
  p. 
  506, 
  1811, 
  remarks, 
  " 
  There 
  are 
  no 
  Rabbits 
  

   raised 
  for 
  sale 
  and 
  only 
  a 
  few 
  for 
  amusement 
  — 
  not 
  a 
  hundred 
  

   in 
  the 
  whole 
  county." 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  N. 
  S. 
  A. 
  of 
  Aberdeenshire, 
  it 
  is 
  stated 
  that 
  the 
  

   Rabbit 
  appeared 
  at 
  Alford 
  about 
  1833. 
  At 
  page 
  777, 
  speaking 
  

   of 
  the 
  parish 
  of 
  Glenmuick, 
  Tullich, 
  and 
  Glengairn, 
  the 
  

   remark 
  is 
  made 
  : 
  " 
  One 
  species 
  of 
  animal, 
  that 
  of 
  Rabbits, 
  

   which 
  formerly 
  was 
  never 
  seen 
  here 
  except 
  in 
  warrens, 
  has 
  

   now 
  overspread 
  the 
  country, 
  and 
  is 
  more 
  destructive 
  to 
  

   turnips 
  and 
  other 
  vegetables 
  than 
  even 
  Hares." 
  Again 
  at 
  

  

  