
interesting remarks on their methods of fighting as well as the calls and sounds
emitted by the animals. On page to of his excellent pamphlet on ‘ The Cultivation
of the Common Hare’ he says:
‘ Though generally regarded as so timid, the Hare only truly fears its natural
adversaries— men, dogs, and vermin. Anyone who has watched them closely soon
has full proof of this. I f disturbed on their forms by sheep or cattle while grazing,
old Hares quickly drive off the intruders by “ boxing” them on the head or nose
with their fore feet. They sometimes, but more rarely, bite and scratch in doing this,
and, not infrequently, make a peculiar grunting and hissing sound, produced by the
throat and lips together. These noises are only heard at other times when the
males grow very excited in playing, or are quarrelling over a mate. The bucks
at such times sit upon their hind feet for minutes together, while feinting, guarding,
and heavy blows follow in rapid succession. The beast which is first grassed
is generally finally vanquished. It always seeks safety in flight, pursued by its
victorious rival to a greater or lesser distance, according to the number of jealous
males in the immediate neighbourhood. I f a champion moves off too far after a
contest in a heavily stocked district, some young sprig— not infrequently more than
one_is sure to put in an appearance during the master Hares absence. On the
return of the victor he may even find his younger rivals fighting fiercely for
possession of his mate. They, however, always beat a hasty retreat when the
master buck comes on the scene.
‘ Hares also make other sounds— love calls and a warning call. The latter is like
the peculiar stamping with their hind feet of rabbits in its result. It is undoubtedly
produced by the grinding together of their teeth. This sound always puts every
Hare within hearing on the alert for danger. It may be distinctly heard in a well-
stocked country by placing the ear against a dry gatepost, and then touching the
gate so as to make the latch rattle. The sound is then taken up and passed on
from Hare to Hare over a wide area. The guttural pipe of the. doe, and the minor
key of her young, as she passes from one milking form to another, are well-known
sounds of the evening and early morning in the country where Hares abound.
i it is on record in “ The Gamekeeper ” that one of a “ kindling ” of tiny leverets
in a turnip field showed “ boxing fight ” with the stick of a beater, which was
introduced too near the birth-form in turning back the turnip leaves to give a full
view of the family. It seems to have struck out like a full-grown Hare, “ making
at the same time a snuffling grunt." No phrase could describe more perfectly the
sound full-grown Hares make when boxing. There is no record here of the warning
note, only of the fighting sound. They are never used together. I have never
heard the sound or seen the action performed by a half-grown leveret, to say
nothing of a newly dropped one.’
The Hare is a remarkably silent animal, and seems to make no open-mouthed
cry except the well-known scream of fear. Curiously enough, with the exception
of the above-mentioned observation, little attention seems to have been devoted to
the subject of sounds emitted by this animal until March 1905, when Mr. Harting
published an interesting article in the ‘ Field.’ Few writers mention any cry made
by the Hare except that of fear, but Jesse says1 :
‘When Hares are seeking their young at night in order to suckle them, they
utter a faint cry, something like the feeble bleat of a fawn, and the leverets
answer it, but in a still more feeble tone.’
Messrs. Mann of Aigle Gill possessed a female Hare which on summer nights
would call softly to a wild jack Hare which came to visit her. They used to call
to each other in low and plaintive tones.2 While seeking information on this
subject, I received the following note from Sir Richard Graham, who is a great
Hare preserver: ‘ Bell (a very intelligent keeper on the Netherby estate) tells me that
the doe Hare has a very peculiar sort of a noise she makes when she has young.
It is something between a grunt and a whistle. He says that it is possible to hear
the doe quite distinctly at a distance of three hundred or even four hundred yards.
He also says that she runs the scent of her young ones just like a dog, and she utters
the cry as she goes along. She will also sit still and bring the leverets to her
side with a similar call.’
Captain Brander-Dunbar likens the call of the doe Hare to the bleating of a
lamb.8 Mr. Drane, writing4 on the voice of the Hare, says:
‘ Both sounds (of fear) are uttered with wide open mouth, and resemble the repeated
word “ amt,” or, if you will, “ aunt.” I believe this is the only open-mouthed
voice of the Hare. But it emits other sounds with a variety of meanings with
closed mouth, which resemble our contraction “ don’t,” “ oont,” and “ dnt.” le an
always make my Hares say “ don’t ” as we say “ humph,” without opening our lips,
when we mean to indicate incredulity or contempt. This is done by a quick movement
of the hand, as if to seize the creature suddenly. I f the same movement is
made slowly no sound is emitted. This exclamation is a very clear “ don’t,” but
1 Scenes and Occupations o f a Country L ife, p. 310.
* From The Hare by H. A. MacPherson. (Longmans’ ‘ Fur, Feather, and Fin ’ Series.)
s The cry of a leveret in pain is very like the bleating of a lamb. * Field, March 25, 1905.