244 NATURAL HISTORY IN ANECDOTE,

her fierce and eager pursuers. In about twenty minutes I
observed Kitty return towards the garden, apparently much
exhausted, and very dirty. She took shelter beneath a small
heap of sticks, which lay at no great distance from the
kitchen door. No time was to be lost, as, by the cry of
the hounds, I was persuaded they were nearly in sight. I
took a fishing-net, and, with the assistance of the servant,
covered poor Kitty, caught her, and conveyed the little,
panting, trembling creature into the house. The harriers
were soon at the spot, but no hare was to be found. I am
not aware that I ever felt greater pleasure than in thus saving
poor Kitty from her merciless pursuers. Towards evening I
gave Kitty her liberty; I turned her out in the garden, and
saw her not again for some time. In the course of the
following summer, however, I saw a hare several times, which
I took to be my old friend; and, in the latter end of October,
Kitty was again observed in the garden. Henceforward she
was occasionally seen as on the preceding winter. One
morning, in January, when I was absent, a gun was fired near
my cottage; Kitty was heard to scream, but, nevertheless,
entered the garden vigorously. The matter was related to
me on my return home; and I was willing to hope that Kitty
would survive. However, I had some doubt on the subject;
and, the next morning, as soon as light permitted, I explored
the garden, and found that my poor unfortunate favourite
had expired; she was stretched beneath a large goose-
berry tree; and I could not help very much regretting her
death.”

- Pame Hares, Though exceedingly timid creatures hares are
readily tamed, and have often become as domesticated
as cats and dogs. Cowper’s experiments with hares will natu-
rally occur to the reader, besides which there are cases
recorded where tame hares have been associated in domesti-
city with cats and even sporting dogs. One possessed by
Mr. A. S. Moffat was thus domiciled and would feed from