THE HAliE. 
27 
specimens contrasted with each other. At the meeting of the British 
Association, held at Cork, in 1843, I briefly stated the foregoing circum- 
stances, as noticed in the report of that year’s proceedings (p. 68 of Trans, 
of the Sections), from which the following is extracted : — 
“ Mr. Thompson exhibited specimens of the Alpine hare ( Lepus variabilis ) 
from the Highlands of Scotland, and of the hare of Ireland ( Lepus Hibernicus ), 
for the purpose of showing - that the species are identical. Of this fact he, 
judging from the external characters, satisfied himself last autumn, when in the 
Highlands of Scotland, and subsequently proved it, by a comparison of the ana- 
tomical characters of the two supposed species.” 
The difference in habit between the latter is certainly very remark- 
able, and will, by some naturalists, be considered sufficient to mark them 
as distinct — the one being generally an Alpine species, and the other 
being distributed over Ireland, from the sea-side to the mountain-tops — 
but without a marked difference in structure I am not content to note 
them as distinct. 
A female Alpine hare, shot at Aberarder, on 21st September, 1842, and 
which I had preserved, weighed 6 lb. 2 oz. One shot next day weighed 
6^ lbs. These hares had no appearance of whiteness in their fur ; nor had 
others which I saw in the market of Aberdeen, in the first week of Octo- 
ber. Their colour was dark bluish-grey. The keeper at Aberarder said 
that the Alpine hares are often larger than the specimens I have referred 
to ; and that in winter he sees them everywhere over the actual moun- 
tain-ground, but never on the plain, though it is but a step from the one 
to the other. I have, however, been assured by Mr. Simpson, who had 
charge of a sheep-farm for several years, in the south-east of Caithness, 
that he often saw Alpine hares in the turnip fields in the low grounds. 
When in the Isle of Skye, in 1850, I found that the Alpine hare 
(L. variabilis) was not known to exist there. The L. timidus had been 
introduced to parts of the island. 
In the work of A. G. Keyserling and Professor J. H. Blasius, upon the 
vertebrate animals of Europe (“ Die Wirbelthiere Europas, von A. G. 
Keyserling and Professor J. H. Blasius, Erstes Buch, 1840”), it is re- 
marked that Lepus Hibernicus (Bell) is, according to the statements given 
up to the present time, not different from the summer garb of the Lepus 
variabilis , and does not become white in winter : — “ Anmerk. Lepus 
Hibernicus , Bell, Brit. Quad., p. 341, ist nach den bisherigen Angaben 
von der Sommertracht des L. variabilis nicht unterschieden ; sol in winter 
nicht weiss werden.” In that part of the work devoted to specific charac- 
ters, pp. 30, 31, L. variabilis and L. timidus are included, but the term 
Hibernicus does not occur. 
For these particulars I am indebted to my friend Mr. Yarrell. 
With reference to the degree of importance which should attach to the 
variations of colour observable in Alpine hares, the following remarks of 
Mr. Bell (Brit. Quad. p. 346) should be borne in mind. Speaking of 
the Alpine hare, he says : — “ I have retained the name variabilis , given 
to this species by Pallas, although that of Brisson, albus, has the priority. 
The latter name, however, could not, with propriety, have been retained, 
as it refers to a character which is only inflicted upon the animal by cir- 
cumstances connected with climate and temperature ; there can be no 
doubt that, were it to remain in a mild temperature during the winter , the 
ivhite colour would never appear ; as is, indeed, proved by the fact, that 
when the winter is unusually mild, the coat never assumes a pure un- 
mixed whiteness.” The same author describes the Irish hare as “ of a 
