218 
THE CABINET OF NATURAL HISTORY 
to the mouth, to cleanse their fur, &c. They drink by lap- 
ping. This length of the hinder limbs also enables them to 
ascend declivities with great speed. They feed on vegeta- 
bles, and are very destructive to bark of young trees. 
One of the most remarkable peculiarities of this genus is 
the difference of habits between some of the species, closely 
allied as they are in their physical appearance. Thus, the 
Rabbit and the Hare, although furnished with analogous or- 
gans, and inhabiting in many instances the same countries, 
manifest the greatest aversion for each other, a hatred which 
M. F. Cuvier asserts nothing can obliterate, for, however 
nearly they are assimilated in form or character, they never 
associate; and, when they meet, a combat generally ensues, 
which often terminates fatally to one of the parties. 
One striking point of dissimilarity between the Hare and 
Rabbit is, that whilst the Hare merely forms a shallow hol- 
low in the earth for her form or nest, the Rabbit excavates 
deep and tortuous burrows. These subterranean habitations 
have several entrances, and are inhabited by many indivi- 
duals, though all of the same family. It has been stated, by 
those conversant with the subject, that these burrows descend 
from generation to generation. This respect for succession 
of property, although asserted for ages, has never been dis- 
proved by modern zoologists, strange and almost incredible 
as it appears to be. La Fontaine has alluded to it in one of 
his fables: 
“ Jean Lapin allegua la coutume et l’usage, 
Ce sont leurs lois, dit il, qui m’ont de ce logis 
Rendu maitre et seigneur, et qui, de pere en fils 
L ’ait de Pierre k Simon, puis a moi Jean transmis. 
The Rabbit is thought to have been originally a native of 
Spain, but has been common in the rest of Europe for ages. 
By domestication the colours of this species, as of all others 
which have been reclaimed by man,- are very various, some 
individuals being black, others lead coloured, &c. one vari- 
ety, called Angora Rabbits, is furnished with long silky 
hair. 
All the species of the genus Lepus hitherto discovered 
in North America, have the habits of the Hare, though they 
are generally called Rabbits. We will at present confine 
our observations to the subject of our illustration, which 
has given rise to some diversity of opinion among natural- 
ists, though it has long been known to hunters and fur traders 
as different from the common species. As was the case 
with almost all the American animals resembling those of 
the old continent, early naturalists considered it as identical 
with the analogous European species. The first description 
given of it in any detail is by Hearne. “ The varying 
hares are numerous, and extend as far as latitude 72° N. and 
probably farther. They delight most in rocky and stony 
places, near the borders of woods, though many of them 
brave the coldest winters on entirely barren ground. In 
summer they are nearly of the colour of our English wild 
rabbit, but in winter assume a most delicate white all over, 
except the tips of the ears, which are black. They are, 
when full grown, and in good condition, very large, many 
of them weighing fourteen or fifteen pounds.”* 
This account agrees very well with that of Lewis and 
Clarke; these authors state: “ The Hare on the western side 
of the Rocky Mountains inhabits the great plains of the 
Columbia. On the eastward of those mountains they inha- 
bit the plains of the Missouri. They weigh from seven to 
eleven pounds; the eye is large and prominent, the pupil of 
a deep sea green, occupying one-third of the diameter of 
the eye; the iris is of a bright yellow and silver colour; the 
ears are placed far back and near each other, whieh the ani- 
mal can, with surprising ease and quickness, dilate and 
throw forward, or contract and hold upon his back at plea- 
sure; the head, neck, and back, shoulders and outer parts of 
the legs and thighs, are of a lead colour; the sides, as they 
approach the belly, become gradually more white; the bel- 
ly, breast, and inner parts of the legs and thighs are white, 
with alight shade of lead colour; the tail is round and bluntly 
pointed, covered with white soft fur. The colours here de- 
scribed are those which the animal assumes from the mid- 
dle of April to the middle of November, the rest of the 
year he is of a pure white, except the black and reddish 
brown of the ears, which never changes. A few reddish 
brown spots are sometimes mixed with the white at this 
season, (the winter,) on their heads and upper parts of their 
necks and shoulders; the body of the animal is smaller and 
longer, in proportion to its height, than the rabbit; when he 
runs he conveys his tail straight behind, in the direction of 
his body.”! 
The next person who mentioned this animal is Warden; 
he observes, “the varying Hare, of the southern parts of 
the United States, is distinguished from the American Rab- 
bit, by changing from a gray brown, which is its colour in 
spring and summer, to a full white in winter. Its ears are 
also shorter and marked with black, and its legs more slen- 
der. The largest varying Hares are about eighteen inches 
long, and weigh from seven to eight pounds. ’-'J 
Notwithstanding these notices, the American Varying 
Hare remained undistinguished by naturalists: or, at most, 
was considered as a mere variety, until the publication of the 
Fauna Americana, by Dr. Harlan, when he designated it as 
a new species under the name of “ virginianus,” giving 
the following as its essential characters: “ Grayish brown 
* Journey to the Northern Ocean, by Samuel Hearne, in the years 1769-72. 
t Travels to the Pacific Ocean in 1804-6, by Captains Lewis and Clarke. 
t Account of the United States, by D. B. Warden. 
