All along the gravel and sand beaches of the east coast of Scotland I have
noticed abundant tracks of Hares made during the night, and have often wondered
what inducement caused these animals to resort to such situations. The fact,
however, is explained by an interesting note by the late C. J . Cornish1:
‘ A curious fact in Hare life is their exceeding fondness for sea-beaches,
especially those on which certain sea-plants grow. The favourite plant of all is.
a somewhat rare one, the sea-pea (Lathyrus maritima), which grows on the
shingles, and especially on pebble banks like that at Orford (which is nine miles
long), and on the Chesil beach, and on others in Sussex and Devon. This pea
sends down its root many feet into the shingles, and spreads like a mat of dark-
green salty leaves over yards of stones. On Chesil beach the Hares come down
from the hills to eat this plant, and below Orford they actually swim the broad
tidal river to get it. Thence they travel down the beach and so reach the mainland
near Aldborough. The only other vegetation is a thin dry grass in places,
and sea-campion. Yet forty Hares may be shot in a day, and often are, on this
bed of stones, in excellent condition.’
Mr. Drane of Cardiff, who has kept Hares in captivity for sixteen years, has
shed a flood of new light on the natural history of the Hare, and some of his
discoveries with regard to its feeding habits and the processes of digestion are
remarkable and show how much there is still to be learnt about our commonest
mammals. On this point he says:* ‘ This delicately clean, odourless, and elegant
creature has one very unpleasing habit: it eats its own dung even when supplied
with abundance of acceptable and favourite food. This fact, for fact it positively
is, again and again verified by incredulous and therefore close observation, opens
up the question whether or not the Hare chews the cud. “ And the Hare, because
he cheweth the cud but divideth not the hoof, he is unclean to you” (Levit. xi. 6).
In accordance with my method I had made up my mind on this point before I
consulted men of books; so as to have a check upon hasty conclusions I asked a
friend to whom field sports are one of the primary conditions of manly enjoyment
Does the Hare chew the cud ? ” His answer came with that nearly contemptuous
assurance which I have learned to distrust as one of the infallible signs of
untrustworthy opinion. He said, “ Yes, I have seen it dozens of times I My
own belief is that not only does the Hare never chew the cud, but that it cannot.
The Hare has a habit when at rest, as when sitting in its form, of grinding
its teeth, probably to keep them in order. May not this be the origin of the
1 Shooting (‘ Country life Library of Sport’), ui * Trans. Cardiff N aturalist? Soc. vol. xxvii. Part II. 1894-5.