The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-10-05
THE NORTHERN HARE.

greater Speeu IHdl lHe HUI tiieih ioic
 and few of them have greater need O
 it, for his enemies are legion and his means of defence but few. His mos
 dreaded foe is man, who hunts hin
 with dogs and guns and snares anc
 steel traps and against whose cunning
 that wonderful speed is of no avail
 He is more than a match for the dogs
 alone, and with fair play he can run 8
 pack of ordinary hounds to death
 Straight into the deep woods he will
 lead them, back and forth amongst the
 tangled underbrush, through patches oi
 tall ferns, between the close growing
 seeding pines and hemlocks, spruces
 and oaks, turning and twisting through
 the natural alleys and runways until
 the dogs, weary of the long chase, are glad when their master finally calls
 them off. When the snow is on the
 ground the dogs are at a still greater disadvantage, by reason of their
 weight, for at every stride they plunge
 in deep, while their lighter-built quar- ry, whose hair-covered feet answer the purpose of snow shoes, leaps nimbly
 over the surface. But it is not often
 that he gets fair play, for the hunter,
 knowing his habits, lies in wait for him
 near one of the runways through which
 he is sure to pass when chased by the
 dogs. Then as he comes into view, | perhaps far ahead of his pursuers, a shot from his ambushed foe knocks
 him over, dead. When the gunner goes
 to pick him up he finds furry animal about eighteen inches long, reddish | i ttjtb
 very long ears and very short tail.
 The incisor teeth are pure white, the eyes large and the whiskers long and numerous. The hind legs are long and muscular and well-adapted for travel ing at high rate of speed. The fur is of two kinds; one short, soft and downy, and the other long and loose. The latter does not lie close to the body, and as 1t moves about with every breath of wind it gives the animal a rather shaggy appearance.
 One of the most remarkable things about the animal is the fact that 1t changes color on the approach of win ter and again in the spring before the hot weather sets in. The tendency is for the fur to become lighter in the 
 seems to be largely matter of latitude. In the southern part of its range there Is scarcely a perceptible change from the reddish brown of summer, while In Canada and along the northern border of the United States the hare becomes almost pure white with the exception of the outer borders of the ears, which are black, and the soles of the feet which have yellowish tings. Between these two extremes there is every pos sible gradation, the hares in the lati- tude of Albany, New York. for exam pie. being merely tinged with reddish brown in the winter. This change of color Is doubtless a great protection to the animal, particularly against those enemies. which, like man, hunt chiefly by sight, for the brown fur Is as incon- spicuous in the woods summer and au- tumn as the white coat is against the snow.
 Although possessed of long, sharp claws. the northern hare does not bur row in the ground; neither does he,
 like the little gray rabbit, seek safety in hollow trees. He usually sleeps in form" slight depression in the ground, often more orIess protected by surrounding shrubs; and in the winter he sometimes shelters himself beneath the tops of fallen evergreen trees or un- der the low-sweeping branches of standing ones He does not seem to re- gard any of these resting places as a permanent home. but he will sometimes retire to the same one for several days in succession. He may fairly be count ed nocturnal animal, although in the spring and summer he is frequently seen abroad in the early morning and in the late afternoon. At these seasons he feeds chiefly on grasses, tender twigs, leaves, buds and juicy bark He seldom troubles the farmer; indeed he is generally too timid to venture into the open fields, and prefers the compar- ative safety of the forest. But even here he is menaced by death in a hun dred forms, and his long hind legs are his only friends Next to man his most dangerous foe is the great horned owl. From this fierce bird which steals st 1ently through the wood and swoops down upon the luckless hare from the | darkness above there is no escape. There is no chance to use the long hind | legs; death comes unheralded. A sud- den pang of pain as eight savage tal- | ons tear the tender skin and crash | through the slender ribs, and all is over In the morning tuft of fur | caught in the bushes or if it is winter, l a blood stain on the snow, alone tells , the story of the tragedy
 The preference shown by the hares for we'll defined pathways in the forest is another source of danger, for in these pathways the trappers set their snares attached to the tops of saplings which are bent over almost to the ground. As the hares pass through on their regular beats, they run their heads into wire release the bent sapings and are jerked into the air, where they slowly strangle to death These are but a few of the dangers to which these harmless creatures are exposed. They are bounced upon by hawks and eagles, stalked by wild cats and foxes and run down by minks, martens and Weasels' Even the domestic cat springs upon hem and devours them whenever they venture within range of civilization. It would seem that with these dangers them, life would be a burden but it is not so When we come lpon several of them together they are full of fun and mischief, leaping over each other and buffeting one an- other good d-naturedly with their fore