THE COMMON HARE 
Sports ” (p. 361), gives an account of a coursed hare which was said to 
have become white from fright. 
In December, 1854, an albino Common Hare was shot at Trebarrow, 
near Dolsdown, Cornwall, by Mr Southby, who had it preserved as a 
curiosity. Another albino was shot by Mr H. M. Spurling in North Devon. 
At Kintore, in Aberdeenshire, a white variety was obtained in January, 
1875, but this animal had a light brown tinge on the back. The Earl of 
Burford, in October, 1888, shot a full-grown white hare, with eyes of a 
pale blue, and in the same neighbourhood, Bestwood Park, Notts, a white 
leveret was caught in the previous month of April. In December of the 
same year another white hare was shot at Rufford, and it is curious that 
these should have occurred in one year in a district where hares then 
were by no means plentiful. Near Kington, Herefordshire, in September, 
1890, Mr Alfred Turner shot a pure white hare, with pink eyes. 
Black hares are apparently of much rarer occurrence, though several 
have been reported at intervals in different years. So long ago as 1828, Dr 
Fleming, in his “ History of British Animals ” (p. 21), noticed a black 
hare which was “lately killed at Netley, in Shropshire, by my respected 
friend, the Rev. F. W. Hope,” and some years ago one was shot at Blake 
Hall, Essex. In November, 1853, a black bare was coursed and killed at 
Enville, the seat of Lord Stamford. A perfectly black hare is preserved 
in the possession of Sir Edward Kerrison, Bart. Another full-grown one 
was shot at Firle by General Gage. In 1885 a black hare was shot near 
Lutterworth by Mr Joshua Harrison, of Parlton Field, and another about 
the same time by Mr J. Cross, of Althorp Towers, near Rugby. On Sep- 
tember 12, 1893, Mr A. E. Cover shot a pure black hare near Newmarket, 
as reported by him in “The Field,” September 23 of that year. The last, 
or one of the last, which we have noted was shot by one of the Duke of 
Portland’s keepers at Langwell, in Caithness, as recorded in “ The Field ” 
of February 22, 1902. 
Weight . — The average weight of a full-grown Brown Hare may be put 
down at about 8 lb., but occasionally this weight has been considerably 
exceeded, particularly in Lincolnshire, where the hares are unusually fine 
and heavy. One of 10 lb. 5 oz. and another of 11 lb. 6 oz. were reported in 
“ The Field” of October 17, 1896. In October, 1877, a hare was shot on the 
farm of Mr Tupholme, of Eastville,near Boston, which weighed 11 lb. 3oz., 
and in “ The Field ” of November 10, 1877, others were reported to have 
been killed in Lincolnshire weighing respectively 1 1 lb. 3 oz. and 1 1 lb. 12 oz. 
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