THE HARE. 73

none. The usual length of the hare is about two feet, the
colour reddish-grey above and white beneath ; the upper lip
is divided; the eyes large and prominent, and said to be
constantly open even during sleep; the tail is very short,
and turned up. It lives principally in dry and flat grounds ;
feeds at night on various kinds of herbage, preferring those
of a milky and succulent nature; and often does great in-
jury to wheat and young plantations. The female produces
three or four young ones at a time, and has several broods
in a year: they seldom exceed the age of seven or eight
years, and many enemies besides man contribute to thin
their numbers, which would otherwise multiply to an in-
convenient degree.

There are many known species, such as Lepus varia-
bilis, which is found only in mountainous districts in cold
countries, changing its colour from black or dark grey to
white, according to locality and climate, and even to the
different seasons. Lepus Capensis is peculiar to the country
near the Cape of Good Hope; it very much resembles
L. timidus in colour. Lepus Tolai is rather larger than
the common hare; it inhabits the plains of Mongolia and
Tibet. Many varieties occur in different parts of Asia;
and to one or more of these, reference is made in the 11th