Page:The Zoologist, 1st series, vol 1 (1843).djvu/239

Rh sheath. And 5thly. From the peculiar formation of the trunk of the Plumularia myriophyllum.

Easter Sunday, in the afternoon, as I was proceeding with my brother-in-law, Mr. Carr, to look at a wild-duck's nest in an adjacent wood, we saw two hares fighting with inconceivable fury on the open ground, about a hundred and fifty yards distant from us. They stood on their hinder legs like two bull-dogs resolutely bent on destruction.

Having watched them for about a quarter of an hour, we then entered the wood;—I observing to Mr. Carr that we should find them engaged on our return.

We staid in the wood some ten minutes, and on leaving it, we saw the hares still in desperate battle. They had moved along the hillside, and the grass was strongly marked with their down for a space of twenty yards.

At last, one of the sylvan warriors fell on its side, and never got upon its legs again. Its antagonist then retreated for a yard or so,—stood still for a minute, as if in contemplation, and then rushed vengefully on the fallen foe. This retreat and advance was performed many times;—the conqueror striking its prostrate adversary with its fore feet, and clearing off' great quantities of down with them.

In the mean time, the vanquished hare rolled over and over again, but could not recover the use of its legs, although it made several attempts to do so. Its movements put you in mind of a drunken man trying to get up from the floor, after a hard night in the ale-house.

It now lay still on the ground, effectually subdued; whilst the other continued its attacks upon it, with the fury of a little demon. Seeing that the fight was over, we approached the scene of action,—the conqueror hare retiring as we drew near.

I took up the fallen combatant just as it was breathing its last. Both its sides had been completely bared of fur, and large patches of down had been torn from its back and belly. It was a well-condi-