THE GUN AT HOME AND ABROAD 
In 1788 appeared Blane’s “ Cynegetica or Essays on Sporting consisting 
of observations on Hare hunting, etc.,” published by John Stockdale, 
Piccadilly. It is an interesting volume, for, besides an abridgment of 
Xenophon’s treatise on hunting and Arrian’s treatise on coursing, it 
contains a reprint of Gardiner’s six letters upon hare hunting, and con- 
cludes with Somerville’s poem ‘‘ The Chace.” 
Twenty-five years later, namely in 1813, John Beard published his 
“Diary of fifteen years’ Hunting from 1796 to 1811,” a smaller volume 
(12mo) and of equal rarity with that of Gardiner. 
And so through the ages we might continue to trace the publication at 
intervals of various works relating to the hare, although, of course, the 
nearer we get to the present day the less need is there to quote their 
titles, since to those who are interested in the subject they are likely 
to be well known. Nevertheless it will not be amiss to mention amongst 
books not to be neglected Mr H. A. Bry den’s “ Hare -hunting and 
Harriers ” (1903), Mr Millais’s “Mammals of Great Britain and Ireland ” 
(vol. HI, 1906), the volumes relating to the hare in the “Badminton 
Library,” the “Fur and Feather” series, and the “Country Life Library” 
(1903). 
With this preliminary glance at the literature of the subject we may 
proceed to deal with the natural history of such members of the hare family 
as are to be found in the British islands. 
In endeavouring to give an outline of the habits, haunts and general 
mode of life of the Common Hare and its allies we are confronted at the 
outset with two difficulties. We have first the question. How many kinds 
of hare are to be found in the British islands ? and secondly. By what tech- 
nical names are they to be designated ? It seems almost superfluous at 
the present day to raise the first question, because for the last forty years, 
that is, since the publication of the second edition of Bell’s “ British Quad- 
rupeds,” it has been the generally received opinion that there are but 
two species, namely, the Common Brown Hare and the Scottish or Mountain 
Hare, which is found also in Ireland. The recent revival, however, of an 
ancient contention that the Irish hare is specifically distinct makes it 
desirable to review the situation. 
Previous to 1833 English naturalists were content to believe that the 
Irish and Scottish hares were identical, but in that year Yarrell, following 
the lead of Lord Stanley, afterwards Earl of Derby, disputed that view at 
a meeting of the Zoological Society, and gave reasons for regarding them 
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