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95 CHAPTER II

THE BLUE HARE—POACHING—HAWKING

more to the beautiful surroundings in which it makes its home than to any special attractions of its own, the Scotch, mountain, or blue hare is a favourite object of the sportsman's pursuit. Smaller than the brown or English hare, with shorter ears and a curiously woolly coat, it is so common on many Highland moors as to be a great nuisance to the dogs of the grouse-shooter, until he has thoroughly broken them from noticing 'fur' in any shape. As these hares lie very closely and are tame enough, there is not much sport to be obtained by walking them up, and on hills where they are numerous it is usual to kill them down by arranging one or two big drives during the season. Some little care and organisation are needed to bring one of these drives to a successful issue. It is the peculiarity of this breed of hare to make straight for the hilltops when disturbed, sometimes to a top of considerable elevation. The guns, which should be