Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 1.djvu/1027

 HUN

Horns only grow on the Male ; being fet with fix or feven Branches, not palm'd, but Branchy, yet fliortcr than Fallow Deer. After Rutting he caffs his Head.

They are faid never to wink, not even when afleep ; for which Conceit their Blood is prefcrib'd to Petlbns dim- iighted or pur-blind. — The Tail of this Beaft is lefs and fhorter than that of a Fallow Deer, infomuch, that it is quedion'd whether ir ought to have that Denomination.

They keep moft in Mountains among the Rocks ; and when hunted. Martial tells us, will hang thereon with their Horns, to delude the Dogs. — They are often taken by counterfeiting of their Voice, which the Hlllpjma/l does by the Affiftance of a Leaf in his Mouth.

When hunted, they turu much, and often, and will ccme back on the Dogs direflly, when they can no longer endure. They alio take Soil, as the Hart; and will hang by a Bough in fuch a Manner, as that nothing fhall appear but their Snout.

Hare Hunting. — A Hare, the firil Year, is call'd a Leveret. — The fecond Year, a Hare- — The third, a Great Hare.

A Hare is call'd in Hebrew, Arnebet ; which being Femi- nine, poflefs'd a grear many with the Notion that all Hares were Females. — He is call'd Lagai by the Greeks, for his immoderate Lull, and by the fame Nation <Ptoox, for his Fear ; and by the Zatins, Lepts, qiiaft levi-pei, to denote Swiftnels of Feer,

There are four Sorts of Hares. — Some live in the Moun- tains, fome in the Fields, fome in the Marfhes, and fome any where indifferently.

Thofe of the Mountains are the moft fwift, and thofe of the Marfhes the floweft : The wandering Hares are moft difficult and dangerous to follow.

Each Part and Member of the Hare is form'd for Cele- rity ; the Head is round and fhorr, of a convenient Length ; the Ears long and lofty, to hear the Enemy at a DUtancr, and fave itfelf in Time ; the Lips continually move, fleeping and waking ; and the Eye is too big and round for the Lid to cover ir, even when alleep, lb thar the Creature fleeps as it were on the Watch. The Breaft is capacious, and fitted to take more Breath than any other Beaft.

They feed abroad ro conceal rheir Forms ; and never drink, but content themfelves with the Dew. Her Ears lead the Way in her Chafe ; for with one of them fhe hearkeneth to the Cry of the Dogs, the other being ftrerch'd forth like a Sail to promote het Courfe.

The Hares of the Mountains often exercife themfelves in Vallirs and Plains, and, thro' Practice, grow acquainted with the neareft Ways to their Forms. Thole which fre- quent Bullies and Brakes, are not able to endure Labour, nor very fwift, as being tender footed, and growing fat tnro' Difconrinuance of Exercife.

When the Hare has left the Dogs far behind, fhe goes to fome Hill or Rifing Ground, where, railing on her hinder Legs, flte obferves at what Diftance her Purfuers are.

The Scent is naturally ftronger in Wood Hares than Field Hares ; but in all Sorrs it is ftrongeft when they feed on Green Corn. — In Winter Mornings, the Scent does not lie till the Froft be a little thaw'd : And it may be added, that a Hate always leaves more Scent when fhe goes to Relief, than when fhe goes to Form.

Her Footfteps are more feen in Winter than Summer, be- caule, as the Nights are longer, they travel farther. — Their Prints are very uncertain at the full Moon ; at which Time they leap and play together. The Young, it is to be obferv'd, ttead heavier than the Old, by reaibn their Limbs are weaker.

A Buck, or Male Hare, is known by his beating the hard Highways, feeding farther out in the Plains, and making his Doublings of a greater Compafs than the Female, who keeps clofe by fome Covert Side, turning, winding, and crofting in the Bullies like a Coney, and rarely running out an End ; whereas the Buck, having once made a Turn or two about his Form, then fafewel Hounds, for he will fre- quently lead them five or fix Miles without once turning his Head : Add, that the. Buck is known, at his rifing out of Form,, by his hinder Parts, which ate more white, of his Shouldets redder than the Does.

The Hare regulates her Conduct according to the Wea- ther. In a moift Day, fhe holds the Highways mote than

at any other Time, by reafon the Scent is then moft apt to lie ; and if ftie come at the Side of any young Grove or Spring, (he forbears to enter, but fquats down a-fide thereof, till the Hounds have over- fliot her; upon which fhe returns the fame Way ftie came, without tutning into ■any Covert, for Fear of the Wet and Dew hanging on the Boughs.

Regard is alfo to be had to the Place where the Hare fits, and upon what Wind ; for if her Form be either upon the North or South Wind, (lie will not willingly run into the Wind, but afide, or down the Wind : On the conttary, if Hie Form in the Water, 'tis a Sign flie is foul and meailed,

(2*7)

HUN

and in the Courfe will make all her Doublings and Croffings about Brook Sides, and near Plafhes; for her Scent, under this Condition, being very ftrung, {he needs a Place that will take but little.

Sometimes, when hunted down, fhe will ftart a frefh Hare, and fquar in the lame Form : Other times, fhe will creep^ under the Door of a Sheep-Goat, and hide among the Sheep, or run among a Flock of Sheep; and not without the utmoil Difficulty be taken from among them. ■— Add , that ibme will take tiie Ground like a Coney - 7 which is call'd going to Vault.

Some Hares will go up one Side of the Hedge, and come down the other ■ and we have known a Plare, that being forely hunted, has got upon a Quickfet Hedge, and ran a good way on the Top thereof, and then leap'df off upon the Ground : And 'tis no unuKial Thing for them to take them- felves to Furz Bufhes, and leap from one to another, where- by the Hounds are frequently j n Default.'

A Hare does not live above feven Years, at moft, efpeci- ally the Buck : And if he and the Doe keep one Quarter, they will not JufFer any ftrange Hare to fit by them ; whence the Proverb, The more you hunt, the more Hares you Jball have 3 fince, having kill'd one Hare, another comes and poflefl.es his Form.

By the Way it is to be obferv'd, that to enter a young Kennel of Hounds, regard muft be had ro the Nature of the Country, and of the Quarry ; for, according to the Place wherein they are er.ter'd, and the Game firft given them, will they afterwards prove. Thus, if they be en- tered in a Champion Country, they will ever after more de- light to hunt, there than in any other Place, $§c.

Having found where a Hare hath reliev'd in fome Pafture or Corn Field ; to find her Form, the Seafon of the Year, and rhe State of the Weather, are to be confidcr'd. — In the Spring or Summer, a Hare will not fit in the Butties, becaute frequently offended with Pifmires, Snakes, and Adders; but will lit in Corn Fields and open Places. — In Winter, they chufe to fit near Towns and Villages, in Tufts of Thorns and Brambles, efpecially when the Wind is Northerly or Southerly. — According to the Seafon and Nature of the Place where the Hare is accuftom'd to fir, there beat with your Hounds and flart her ; which is better Sport than Trailing of her from her Relief to her Form. — Having ftarted her, ftep in ; and hollow in the Hounds till they have undertaken it, crying, "That, that, ortbere, there, and go on with full Cry ; then Recheat them, and follow at a Diftance, taking Care not to forward them too much at firft, as being apt, in the firlt Heat, to over, fhoot the Game. — Above all Things mind the firft Doub- ling the Hare makes, which is to be a Key or Direction for the whole Day ; all the orher Doublings file afterwards makes being like the firlt. — According to the Policies you fee her ufe, and the Place where you hunt, make your Com- pafs, to help the Defaults, great or little, loner or fhort j always feeking the moiftell and mod commodious Places for the Hounds to fcent in.

Fox Hunting. — This Animal, the firft Year, is call'd a Cub. — The fecond, a Fox. — The third, an Old Fox.

His Nature, in many Refpe£ta, is like that of a Wolf; and both bring the fame Number of Cubs at a Litter; but the Fox litters deep under Ground, which the Wolf does not.

A Bitch Fox is hard to take, when bragged, and with Cub, in regard fhe lies near her Burrow, into which fhe runs upon Hearing the leaft Noife; indeed 'tis no eafy Matter to take her at any Time, as being a Beaft of ex- ceeding Subtlety. \

What makes Fox Hunting the more entertaining, is, the ftrong hot Scent he affords, which keeps up an excellent Cry ; bur as his Scent is hotter at Hand, fb it dies fooner than that of a Hare, ££c. Add, that he never flies far be- fore the Hounds, as not trufting to his Legs, or the Champion Ground, but has Recourfe to the ftrongeft Coverts. — When he can no longer ftand up before the Hounds, he takes Earth, and muft be dug out. — • When cours'd by Grey- hounds on a plain, his lail Refuge is ufually to pi Is on his Tail, and flap it in their Faces as they come near Wim; fbmetimes fquirting his thicker Excrement upon them,, to make them give over the Courfe.

When a Bitch goes a Clicketing, and fecks the Dog, fhe cries with a hollow Voice, not unlike the hollowing of a mad Dog ; and the like Noife fhe makes wh p n fhe nvfles any of her Cubs ; but never cries at all when fhe is killing, but defends herielf in Silence to the Iaft Gafp.

The Fox is taken with Hounds, Greyhounds, Ter- riers, Nets, and Gins. — Of Terriers there are two Sorts, the one crook-leg'd, and commonly fhort-hair'd, which take Earth well, and lie long at Fox or Badger ; the other fhag* ged and ftraight-leo'd, which will not only hunt above Ground as others, but alfb enter the Earth with great Fury, tho* they cannot flay in fb long, by reafon of their Vehe- mence.

The