been turned up by the plough, if, that is, they have any trace of red
about them, or through stubble, owing to reflection. So, too, they are
visible enough on beaten paths or roads, presuming these are fairly
level, since the bright hue of their coats lights up by contrast. On
the other hand, they are not noticeable when they seek the cover of
rocks, hills, screes, or scrub, owing to similarity of colour. Getting
a fair start of the hounds, they will stop short, sit up and rise
themselves up on their haunches,[32] and listen for any bark or other
clamour of the hounds hard by; and when the sound reaches them, off
and away they go. At times, too, without hearing, merely fancying or
persuading themselves that they hear the hounds, they will fall to
skipping backwards and forwards along the same trail,[33]
interchanging leaps, and interlacing lines of scent,[34] and so make
off and away.

[32] Cf. the German "Mannerchen machen," "play the mannikin." Shaks.
"V. and A." 697 foll.

[33] Passage imitated by Arrian, xvi. 1.

[34] Lit. "imprinting track upon track," but it is better perhaps to
avoid the language of woodcraft at this point.

These animals will give the longest run when found upon the open,
there being nothing there to screen the view; the shortest run when
started out of thickets, where the very darkness is an obstacle.

There are two distinct kinds of hare--the big kind, which is somewhat
dark in colour[35] with a large white patch on the forehead; and the
smaller kind, which is yellow-brown with only a little white. The tail