CHAPTER V. 



HARES AND HABBITS. 



The term Ground-game applies to hares and rabbits, and 

 these animals, although they belong to the same family 

 {Leporidce) and are similar in many respects, yet in a few 

 details they differ as to their mode of life and habits. 

 Before entering into a description of the damage committed 

 and the loss incurred by hares and rabbits, the methods 

 employed in preventing their attacks, and the aids and helps 

 introduced by legislation from time to time to enable the 

 tenant and occupier of the land to cope with these creatures, 

 it will be useful to give a short insight into their natural 

 history. 



The most marked feature in the life-history of hares and 

 rabbits is their marvellous fecundity ; the latter surpass the 

 former in this respect, and it has been computed that a pair 

 of rabbits in four years, under favourable conditions, will 

 produce the enormous number of 1,274,840 descendants. 

 Although this is possible, it must be owned that such 

 extraordinary fertility is not very probable. 



THE HARE {Lepiis Etcropcetis), 



The Hare (Lepus EiLropceiLs\ although possessed of no 

 actual means of offence or defence,has been furnishedby nature 

 with wonderful perception and acuteness of hearing, and 

 also great speed and endurance. Its long ears endue it with 

 enhanced hearing, and its eyes are so placed laterally as to 

 receive the rays of light on every side ; therefore, it has the 



