L E P U S. 
along way on the lead fufpicion of danger; fo that (he 
always eats in terror, and runs lierfelf out of fiefli conti¬ 
nually. Thefe are both prevented by her feeding in a 
fafe place, and that without apprehenfion ; and they fay 
fhe will always readily be fattened in this way. 
Naturalifts reckon two varieties of this fpecies : ( 3 , L. 
timidus cornutus, the horned common hare; having 
(lightly-branched horns; an animal probably fabulous. 
y, L. timidus melinus, the yellow common hare ; of a 
ltraw-colour, fize of the European hare, and running like 
it; feen by Capt. Cook in New Holland. 
3. Lepus variabilis, the varying hare: tail (hort ;■ body 
white in the winter, except the tips of the ears which re¬ 
main black. The varying hare has a foft down upon it, 
which is grey in fummer, with a flight mixture of black 
and tawny; its ears are Ihorter, and whole form more 
(lender than the common hare; its tail is entirely white, 
even in fummer; its feet are molt clofely and warmly co¬ 
vered with fur. In winter, the whole animal changes to 
a fnowy whitenefs, except the tips and edges of the ears, 
which remain black; as do alfo the foies of the feet, on 
which, in Siberia, the fur is doubly thick. It is lefs than 
the common fpecies. It inhabits the higheft Scottilh 
Alps, Norway, Lapland, Ruflia, Siberia, Kamfchatka, the 
banks of the Wolga, and Hudfon’s Bay. In Scotland, 
it keeps on the tops of the higheft hills, and never de- 
fcends into the vales, nor mixes with the common hares. 
It does not run fall, but takes (belter in the clefts of 
rocks; it is eafily tamed, is full of frolic, and fond of 
honey and carraway-comfits; it eats its own dung before 
a ftorm ; it changes its colour in September, and refumes 
its grey coat in April ; and this it does, not only in the 
open air and in a ftate of liberty, but, as has been proved 
by experiment, even when kept tame, and preferved in 
apartments kept W'arm with ftoves. They aflemble, and are 
feen in troops of five or fix hundred, migrating in fpring, 
and returning in autumn. Compelled by the want of fub- 
fiftence, they quit in winter the lofty hills, and feek the 
plains and wooded parts, where vegetables abound. To¬ 
wards fpring they return to their mountain-quarters. 
Staunton noticed this animal in China, near the Great 
Wall. 
Of this fpecies alfo there are two varieties. | 3 , L. va¬ 
riabilis niger, the black hare, made a feparate fpecies by 
Dr. Turton. It varies lefs than the former, and is larger. 
Muller fays, he once faw two black hares in Siberia, of a 
wonderful fine glofs, and as black as jet. Another of 
the fame kind was taken near Cafan in the winter of 
1768. Thefe fpecimens were much larger than the com¬ 
mon kind. In the fouthern and weftern parts of Ruflia, 
there is a mixed breed of hares, between this and the 
common fpecies, which forms the fecond variety, y, L. 
variabilis hybridus, the fpurious varying hare, which fuf- 
tains, during winter only, a partial lofs of colour. The 
(ides, and more expofed parts of the ears and legs, in that 
feafon become white; the other parts retain their colour. 
This variety is unknown beyond the Urallian Chain. It 
is called by the RuIlians rujfack .; they take them in great 
numbers in fnares, and export their fkins to England, 
and other places, for the manufacture of hats. The Ruf¬ 
fians and Tartars, like the ancient Britons, hold the flelh 
of hares in deteftation, efteeming it impure ; that of the 
variable hare, in its white ftate, is exceffively infipid. 
4. Lepus Americanus, the American hare: tail fhort; 
hind legs long; ears and tail tipt with grey; the upper 
part of the tail black, the lower white; the neck and body 
mixed with alh, ruft-colour, and black; the legs are of a 
pale ferruginous colour, the belly white; their fore-legs 
are Ihorter, and their hind ones longer, in proportion, 
than thofe of the common hare ; they meafure eighteen 
inches in length, and weigh from three to four pounds 
and a half. They inhabit all parts of North America. 
In New Jerfey, and the colonies to the fouth of that pro¬ 
vince, they retain their colour during the whole year 5 
Vox,. XII. No. 849. ■ 
521 
but to the northward, on the approach of winter, they 
change their fliort fummer-fur, for one very long, iilky 
and 111 very, even to the roots, the edges of the ears only 
preferving their colour. At that time it is in the higheft 
feafon for the table; and is of vaft ufe to thofe who win¬ 
ter in Hudfon’s Bay, where they are taken in great abun¬ 
dance in fpringes made of brafs wire, placed in hedges, 
couftrufted on purpofe, with holes before the fnares for 
the hares or rabbits to pafs through. They breed once 
or twice a-year, and have from five to fever, at a time ; 
they do not migrate, like the preceding, but always haunt 
the fame places; they do not burrow, but lodge under 
fallen timber, and in hollow trees; they breed in the 
grafs, but, in the fpring, fhelter their young in hollow 
trees, to which they alfo run when purfued. The hun¬ 
ters force them out of thole retreats, by means of a hooked 
ftick, or by making a fire, and driving them out by the 
fmoke. 
5. Lepus tolai, the Baikal hare: tail fliort; edges of the 
ears black. The tail of the Baikal hare, though fliort, is 
longer than that of the rabbit; in the male, the ears are 
longer in proportion than thofe of the varying hare ; its 
fur is of the fame colour with that of the common hare. 
It is red about the neck and feet; its tail is black above, 
and white beneath ; .its fize is between that of the com¬ 
mon and that of the varying hare. The name here given 
it marks its country. It extends from the lake Baikal as 
far as Thibet. The Tanguts call it rangzuo, and confe- 
crate it to the fpots of the moon. It agrees with the 
common rabbit in the colour of its flefli, but does not 
burrow. When purfued, it runs for (belter ftraight to 
the hole of the rocks, without any circuitous doublings, 
like thofe of the common hare; fo that it agrees in nature 
neither with the hare nor the rabbit. The Mongols call 
it tolai. Its fur is bad, and of no ufe in commerce. 
6. Lepus minimus, the cuy, or Chilefe hare: tail Ihort, 
ears of one colour. This has a conoid body ; ears fmall, 
pointed, and covered with hair; nofe long; tail fo fliort 
as fcarcely to be feen; is domefticated, and varies in co¬ 
lour to white, brown, and (potted with divers colours ; 
fur very fine; fize of a field-moufe. Inhabits Chili; 
breeds every month, and brings from fix to eight young; 
is delicate eating. 
7. Lepus Capenfis, the Cape hare: tail bufliy, as long 
as the head ; feet red. The long ears of the Cape hare 
are dilated in the middle; on the outlide they are naked, 
and of a rofe colour; the infide and edges are covered 
with (hort grey hair. Crown and back dufky, mixed 
with tawny; cheeks and (ides afli-coloured; breaft, belly, 
and legs, ruft-coloured ; tail of a pale ferruginous co¬ 
lour. It is of the fize of a rabbit, and inhabits the coun¬ 
try for three days’ march north of the Cape of Good 
Hope. It is there called the mountain-hare ; for it lives 
only in the rocky mountains, and does not burrow. It 
is difficult to (hoot, as, on the fight of any one, it in- 
ftantly runs into the fifiures of the rocks. The fame fpe¬ 
cies probably extends as high as Senegal. 
8. Lepus cuniculus, the rabbit: tail (hort, nearly the 
colour of the body ; ears black at the tip; hind legs 
(horter than the body. This fpecies inhabits naturally 
the temperate and the warm parts of Europe, and even 
the hotted parts of Alia and of Africa. It is not origi¬ 
nally Britifli, but fucceeds here admirably well. It will 
not live in Sweden, and the northern countries, except it 
be kept in houfes. Strabo tells us, that they were im¬ 
ported into Italy from Spain. They are not natives of 
the weftern hemifphere, but have been carried thither, 
and increafe greatly in South America. They are ex¬ 
ceedingly prolific; they breed feven times in a year, and 
produce eight young at a time. If we fuppole this to 
happen regularly, one pair may produce in four years 
the amazing number of one million two hundred and fe- 
venty-four thoufand eight hundred and forty. They oc¬ 
cupy principally dry Candy foils, forming long winding 
6 R b urrows $ 
