ing in his way; even his furlinefs was matter of mirth, and in his play he preserved such an air of gravity, and performed his feats with fuch a folemnity of manner, that in him too I had an agreeable companion. Befs, who died foon after he was full grown, and whose death was occafioned by his being turned into his box, which had been washed, while it was yet damp, was a hare of great humour and drollery. Pufs was tamed by gentle ufage; Tiney was not to be tamed at all; and Bess had a courage and confidence that made him tame from the beginning. I always ad mitted them into the parlour after fupper, when the carpet affording their feet a firm hold, they would frisk, and bound, and play a thousand gambols, in which Befs, being remarkably ftrong and fearless, was always fuperior to the rest, and proved himself the Veftris of the party. One evening the cat being in the room, had the hardinefs to pat Befs upon the cheek, an indignity which he refented by drumming upon her back with fuch violence, that the cat was happy to escape from under his paws and hide herself. own. I describe these animals as having each a character of his Such they were in fact, and their countenances were fo expreffive of that character, that, when I looked only on the face of either, I immediately knew which it was. It is faid, that a fhepherd, however numerous his flock, foon becomes fo familiar with their features, that he can, by that indication only, diftinguish each from all the reft; and yet, to a common obferver, the difference is hardly perceptible. I doubt not that the fame difcrimination in the cast of countenances would be discoverable in hares, and am perfuaded that among a thoufand of them no two could be found exactly fimilar; a circumstance little fufpected by those who have not had opportunity to obferve it. These creatures have a singular fagacity in difcovering the minutest alteration that is made in the place to which they are accustomed, and inftantly apply their nose to the ex amination of a new object. A small hole being burnt in the carpet, it was mended with a patch, and that patch in a moment underwent the ftricteft fcrutiny. They feem, too, to be very much directed by the smell in the choice of their favourites: to fome perfons, though they faw them daily, they could never be reconciled, and would even scream when they attempted to touch them; but a miller coming in engaged their affections at once; his powdered coat had charms that were irresistible. It is no wonder that my intimate acquaintance with these fpecimens of the kind has taught me to hold the sportsman's amusement in abhorrence; he little knows what amiable creatures he perfecutes, of what gratitude they are capable, how cheerful they are in their fpirits, what enjoyment they have of life, and that impreffed as they seem with a peculiar dread of man, it is only because man gives them peculiar cause for it. That I may not be tedious, I will just give a short summary of thofe articles of diet that fuit them beft. I take it to be a general opinion that they graze, but it is an erroneous one, at least grafs is not their staple; they seem rather to use it medicinally, foon quitting it for leaves of almoft any kind. Sow-thistle, dent-de-lion, and lettuce, are their favourite vegetables, especially the laft. I discovered by accident, that fine white fand is in great estimation with them; I fuppofe as a digeftive. It happened that I was cleaning a bird-cage while the hares were with me; I placed a pot filled with fuch fand upon the floor, which be.. ing at once directed to by a strong instinct, they devoured voraciously; fince that time I have generally taken care to see them well supplied with it. They account green corn a delicacy, both blade and stalk, but the ear they feldom eat: ftraw of any kind, especially wheat-straw, is another of their dainties; they will feed greedily upon oats, but if furnished with clean fraw never want them; it ferves them alfo for a bed, and, if fhaken up daily, will be kept fweet and dry for a confiderable time. They do not indeed require aromatic herbs, but will eat a small quantity of them with great relifh, and are particularly fond of the plant called mufk; they feem to resemble sheep in this, that, if their pasture be too fucculent, they are very subject to the rot; to prevent which, I always made bread their principal nourishment, and filling a pan with it cut into fmall fquares, placed it every evening in their chambers, for they feed only at evening and in the night; during the winter, when vegetables were not to be got, I mingled this mefs of bread with fhreds of carrot, adding to it the rind of apples cut extremely thin; for, though they are fond of the paring, the apple itself disgufts them. Thefe, however, not being a sufficient fubftitute for the juice of summer herbs, they must at this time be fupplied with water; but fo placed that they cannot overfet it into their beds. I must not omit that occafionally they are much pleased with twigs of hawthorn, and of the common briar, eating even the very wood when it is of confiderable thickness. Befs, I have faid, died young; Tiney lived to be nine years old, and died at last, I have reason to think, of fome hurt in his loins by a fall; Pufs is still living, and has just completed his tenth year, discovering no figns of decay, nor even of age, except that he is grown more difcreet and lefs frolickfome than he was. I cannot conclude without observing, that I have lately introduced a dog to his acquaintance, a spaniel that had never seen a hare to a hare that had never seen a spaniel. I did it with great caution, but there was no real need of it. Pufs difcovered no token of fear, nor Marquis the leaft fymptom of hoftility. There is therefore, it should feem, no natural antipathy between dog and hare, but the pursuit of the one occafions the flight of the other, and the dog purfues because he is trained to it: they eat bread at the fame time out of the fame hand, and are in all respects fociable and friendly. I should not do complete juftice to my subject did I not add, that they have no ill fcent belonging to them, that they are indefatigably nice in keeping themselves clean, for which purpose nature has furnished them with a brush under each foot; and that they are never infefted by any vermin. MAY 28, 1784. Memorandum found among Mr. Cowper's papers. This day died poor Pufs, aged eleven years eleven months. She died between twelve and one at noon, of mere old age, and apparently without pain. THE END. In the Prefs, and will be published in Auguft 1801, in four Volumes in Octavo, A Tranflation of the ILIAD AND ODYSSEY OF HOMER into Blank Verfe. By W. CowPER, of the Inner Temple, Efq. The second Edition, with so many alterations as nearly entitle it to be called a new Translation. Printed for J. Johnson, St. Paul's Church-yard. T. Bensley, Printer, Bolt Court, Fleet Street, London. |