T H E COMMON H A R E
Lepus europceus, Pallas.
Lepus europceus, Pallas, ‘ Nov. Spec. Glirium,’ p. 30 (1778).
Lepus tim idus, Bell, ‘ Brit. Quad.’ 2nd ed. p. 331 (1874).
Local Names.— Bream H are, H a re? P u ss (English) ; B et tie, M awkins, Baw d (Scottish) ;
M iolbaidhe, Gearr, G iorr, Maigheach (Gaelic); Gearr-fhiadh, Moigheack (Irish);
Mwaagk (Manx, Kermode); Scovarnoeg (Old Cornish, Harting); Ysgyfamog, Ceinach,
P ry Cath eith in (Welsh).
Characters.— Cheeks reddish yellow, forehead and nose greyish brown; the
upper parts appear ‘ grizzled’ owing to the mouse-grey under parts of the hair
showing in places where they are not covered by the yellowish-red extremities of
the long hairs; throat, chest and limbs yellowish red, belly white; the tail, which
is black above and white be low ,is 3| inches long; vibrissae yellowish white.
The ears are about 4^ inches long, they are buff and taper towards the tips,
which are black, the naked inner sides are very blue in colour. Length of head
and body from 21 to 23 inches. Leverets are more russet than adults.
Like most of the rodents the fur is in a. continuous state of change throughout
the year. ‘ Apart from this continual change,’ says Mr. Drane, ‘ there is a
much more marked seasonal one, which occurs between July and September. When
this periodic moult is fully on, nearly all the fur on the back is easily removed
by a comb or by plucking it out by the hand. For the last three years in August
I have so removed the fur from my Hare’s back, and found the surface black where
in nature the fur is brown. Now, the strange thing is that when the brown fur
first grows from the skin it is black; when it is an eighth of an inch long the
tips of the individual hairs turn brown, and when fully developed the brown of
the Hare’s back is produced by the aggregate tips of black hair turned brown, while
the basal portion of all the fur on the back is always white. The very short hair
on the nose comes black, rapidly turns brown, and never has a white base.’
1 Derived from Anglo-Saxon Hara or Har.