The Hare. 91 
THE HARE. (Lepus timidus.) 
This small quadruped is well known at our tables as 
affording a favourite food, notwithstanding the dark 
colour of its flesh. Its swiftness cannot save it from the 
search of its enemies, among whom man is the most in- 
veterate. Unarmed and fearful, the Hare appears almost 
to sleep with open e3 7 es, so easily is it alarmed. Its hind 
legs are longer than its fore ones, to enable it to run up 
hills ; its eyes are so prominently placed, that they can 
encompass at once the whole horizon of the plain where 
it has chosen its form, for so its seat or bed is called ; 
and its ears so long, that the least noise cannot escape it. 
It seldom outlives its seventh year, and breeds plen- 
tifully. Naturally wild and timorous, the Hare may, 
however, be occasionally tamed. The following is from 
the entertaining account given by Cowper, of three 
Hares that he brought up tame in his house ; the names 
he gave them were Puss, Tiney, and Bess. Tiney was a 
reserved and surly Hare; Bess, who was a Hare of 
great humour and drollery, died young. " Puss grew 
presently familiar, would leap into my lap, raise him- 
self upon his hinder feet, and bite the hair from my 
temples. He would suffer me to take him up and carry 
him about in my arms, and has more than once fallen 
fast asleep upon my knee. He was ill three days, 
