1870.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
133 
The Northern Hare .—Lepus Americanus. 
The true rabbits live gregariously, and form 
burrows, in which they rear their young. None 
of our rabbits have these habits, and the ani¬ 
mals which, in this country, are popularly called 
rabbits, are strictly hares. We have, in North 
America, some thir¬ 
teen species of hares, 
all of which are soli¬ 
tary in their habits, 
and instead of bur¬ 
rowing', make forms 
or nests of grass up¬ 
on the ground, upon 
which they sit. The 
most common, after 
the Gray or Brown 
Rabbit, is the North¬ 
ern Hare, also called 
White Rabbit. It is 
found from Virginia 
to Canada, and as far 
west as the plains of 
the Missouri. It is 
considerably larger 
than the common 
rabbit,has ears larger 
in proportion to the 
size of the head, and 
a longer hind foot. 
The feet are so thick¬ 
ly covered with hair, 
that the animal 
makes but little impression upon the snow. 
In summer, the color of the animal is of a red¬ 
dish or cinnamon brown above, and white be¬ 
neath the body; the short tail is sooty brown 
above, and dull grayish beneath. In winter, 
the pelage changes to white, but when the hair 
is parted, lead color and cinnamon color are 
seen below. The fur, at all seasons, has a rough 
and shaggy look, on which account the skins 
are of little value. The animal weighs from 
three to six and a 
half pounds. This 
hare inhabits dense 
swamps in winter, 
but in summer finds 
a retreat on higher 
ground. It is very 
seldom seen iu the 
day-time, as it does 
its foraging during 
the evening and 
night. It forms well 
worn paths or runs, 
which it is said to 
follow for years, and 
many are taken by 
means of snares or 
traps, set in these 
runs. When pur¬ 
sued, it runs, or 
rather leaps, with 
great speed, and en¬ 
deavors to escape 
the hunter by avoid¬ 
ing the open ground, 
doubling and turn¬ 
ing among the thick 
est woods and undergrowth. It is much more 
fierce than the common rabbit, and when cap¬ 
tured, bites and scratches with considerable 
energy. Numbers of this hare are sent to the 
New York market every winter, but as they are 
not highly esteemed, they sell for a low price. 
The flesh is$ry and hard, and much inferior to 
that of the common gray rabbit. It has been 
stated that the hare was introduced from Eng¬ 
land into Canada, and from thence spread over 
a large part of the United States. This is an 
error, as the European hare differs from ours in 
many respects. It is larger, with ears longer 
in proportion to the size of the head, and it 
does not change its color with the seasons. 
the NOKTiiEiiN HAitE —(Lepus Americanus.) 
Sultan Fowls. 
The Sultans were introduced from Turkey 
into England about the year 1854. They are 
an exceedingly beautiful and attractive breed, 
closely resembling the Polands in many of their 
characteristics, vet difftruig from them essenti- 
ahy m others. Their plumage is of the purest 
white, and they are abundantly feathered on 
every part, as shown by our excellent engraving. 
A Fj'T, OF SULTAN FOWLS. 
The comb is forked, at least it is in two parts, 
which, in the case of the cock from which the 
engraving was taken, so resembled a crescent, 
that every one was struck with the appropriate¬ 
ness of the combination of crescent and turban 
for a Turkish fowl. They have full Polish crests, 
and muffs or beards in both sexes. The body 
feathers are soft and abttnddnt; the hackle 
flowing; the sickle feathers well developed; the 
legs fully feathered to the tips of the toes; the 
feathers of the hocks having stiff quills and ex¬ 
tending back in a line with the thighs, which is 
called being “ vulture hocked.” The hens are 
persistent layers, rarely or never wanting to sit. 
They lay large, white eggs, and many of them. 
The breed is reput¬ 
ed to be easily kept, 
and hardy, easily 
confined, and useful 
as well as ornamen¬ 
tal. The chickens 
feather very young, 
and hence are deli¬ 
cate, as is usually 
the case with breeds 
upon which the 
feathers come before 
the young bird has 
built up its frame 
sufficiently to sustain 
the draft upon it 
without becoming 
too much weakened. 
Several importations 
of these fowls have 
been made within a 
year or more, and 
naturally have at¬ 
tracted much atten¬ 
tion at the exhibi¬ 
tions where they 
have been shown. 
The stock of Sultans in this country is small, 
but they have proved themselves hardy in our 
climate, and useful as layers. They are less 
than medium-sized fowls, buthave plump bodies, 
and, if abundant, would be excellent for the table. 
-«o—«-—-»-t*-- 
Osier Willow as a Hedge. 
We recently saw a successful hedge grown 
from the Osier willow. It was strengthened at 
the top and in the 
middle by inter¬ 
weaving the branch¬ 
es, without severing 
them from the 
stock. These living 
ligatures became 
stronger every year 
and added to the 
stiffness of the 
fence. It was kept 
trimmed on the top 
at the hight of six 
feet. It turned cat¬ 
tle perfectly in its 
fourth year, and is 
constantly growing 
strongei'. It was 
kept at its required 
hight by cutting an¬ 
nually a crop ot 
boughs from the top 
for basket willow. 
This is a novelty in 
the way of growing 
willows, but we do 
not see why Osiers 
may not be grown just as well six feet from the 
ground, as upon its surface. The wands are 
quite as vigorous, and of as good quality. The 
double office this willow serves, treated in this 
way, would induce some, perhaps, to cultivate 
it, who otherwise would not think of it. The 
owner of this hedge peeled his wands by hand, 
and sold them in the market for ten cents a 
