30 
LEPORIDiE. 
sit in its accustomed form, it would find itself buried, perhaps twenty feet, in the 
morning, under the blowing sand, as under a snow-rath. Accordingly, the hares 
have burrowed ; they choose out a thin and high sandhill, which stands somewhat 
like a solidified wave of the sea. Through this Puss perforates a hoi’izontal hole, 
from east to west, with a double opening ; and seating herself at the mouth of 
the windward orifice she there awaits the storm ; and as fast as her hill wastes 
away she draws back, ready at all times to make a start, in case the storm rise 
so as to carry off the hill altogether.” 
The Rabbit, Lepus cuniculus, Linn., 
Is common over the island. 
This animal passes under the names of burrow and bush rabbit, in the 
North of Ireland : the former term being applied to those which burrow 
in the ground, in the ordinary manner ; and the latter, to such as live in 
“ forms,” like the hare, among bushes or underwood. Dr. R. Ball in- 
forms me, that he has long been aware of the difference of habit and ap- 
pearance between burrow and bush rabbits, in the County of Cork ; and 
the Rev. G. F. Dawson, in a short communication published by him in 
the “ Zoologist,” vol. iii. p. 903, refers to the bush-rabbit or stubb-rabbit, as 
distinguished in Bedfordshire. The departure from their usual habits is, 
I conceive, only resorted to by rabbits where the soil is unsuited to bur- 
rowing. 
My friend Mr. W. Ogilby informs me that he has frequently, in the 
North of Ireland, witnessed the partiality of both hares and rabbits for 
Swedish over other kinds of turnips, the former being selected even 
when a field of the latter intervened. 
Captain Kennedy, of Finnart (Ayrshire), told me, in 1843, that, within 
tw r elve months, upwards of four thousand rabbits were killed on his pro- 
perty there a few years previously. All the rabbits I saw (about a 
dozen) one evening, in driving through Glenappe, and on Captain K.’s 
property, were jet black. 
Howitt, in his “ Book of the Seasons ” (August), describes a fight, wit- 
nessed by him. between a rabbit and a large weasel, in which the latter 
was worsted. He supposed that it had been intending an attack on the 
young rabbits in the burrow, when it was met, several times, by the 
parent, and repelled. 
Mr. W. Darragh (Curator of the Belfast Museum) once had a domesti- 
cated male rabbit, which not only partook of cooked flesh-meat, but 
greatly preferred this food to any vegetables ; it was in the habit of 
w'atching for a bone, just as a dog would do, and of gnawing it in like 
manner, when obtained. This rabbit evinced no fear of dogs or cats ; 
and was so courageous as to attack any one who pointed a finger or stick 
at it. It showed great fondness for music, stationing itself close to the 
performer, and sitting erect in a very ludicrous attitude. 
The Red-Deer, Cervus elaphus, Linn. 
“ Oh, Forest-king! the fair succeeding morns 
That brighten o’er these hills shall miss your crest 
From their sun-lighted peaks ! ” * 
This species, once abundant over Ireland, is now confined to the wilder 
parts of Connaught, as Erris and Connemara ; and to a few localities in 
the south, more especially the vicinity of the Lakes of Killarney. 
* Lines applied to the red-deer, in Mrs. Norton’s “ Child of the Islands.” — 
Autumn , Canto ix. 
