[6] Cf. Plut. 'Q. Nat.' 917 F, ap. Schneid.
[7] Cf. Theophr. 'C. Pl.' xix. 5, 6; xx. 4.
[8] Reading {to thermo}. Aristot. 'Gen. An.' iv. 10. Zeune cf. Plut.
'Symp.' iii. 10, 657. Macrob. 'Sat.' vii. 16; Athen. 276 E. Al.
{to thermon}. See Lenz ad loc., 'the moon, especially a full moon,
dulls the heat (or odour) of the tracks.'
[9] Cf. Poll. v. 67; ib. 66.
[10] 'Playing with one another, in the rivalry of sport.'
[11] Lit. 'when foxes have gone through before.'
Spring with its tempered mildness is the season to render the scent clear, except where possibly the soil, bursting with flowers, may mislead the pack, by mingling the perfume of flowers with the true scent.[12] In summer scent is thin and indistinct; the earth being baked through and through absorbs the thinner warmth inherent in the trail, while the dogs themselves are less keen scented at that season through the general relaxation of their bodies.[13] In autumn scent lies clean, all the products of the soil by that time, if cultivable, being already garnered, or, if wild, withered away with age, so that the odours of various fruits are no longer a disturbing cause through blowing on to the line.[14] In winter, summer, and autumn, moreover, as opposed to spring, the trail of a hare lies for the most part in straight lines, but in the earlier season it is highly complicated, for the little creatures are perpetually coupling and particularly at this season, so that of necessity as they roam together for the purpose they make the line intricate as described.
[12] i.e. 'with the scent into a composite and confusing whole.'
[13] Or, 'owing to the relaxed condition of their frames.'
[14] Lit. 'The fruity odours do not, as commingling currents, injure
the trail.'
The scent of the line leading to the hare's form lies longer than that of a hare on the run, and for this reason: in proceeding to her form the hare keeps stopping,[15] the other is in rapid motion; consequently, the ground in one case is thickly saturated all along with scent, in the other sparsely and superficially. So, too, scent lies better in woody than on barren ground, since, whilst running to and fro or sitting up, the creature comes in contact with a variety of objects. Everything that earth produces or bears upon her bosom will serve as puss's resting-place. These are her screen, her couch, her canopy;[16] apart, it may be, or close at hand, or at some middle point, among them she lies ensconced. At times, with an effort taxing all her strength, she will spring across to where some jutting point or clinging undergrowth on sea or freshet may attract her.
[15] 'The form tracks are made by the hare leisurely proceeding and
stopping at times; those on the run quickly.'
[16] Lit. 'Anything and everything will serve to couch under, or
above, within, beside, now at some distance off, and now hard by,
and now midway between.'
The couching hare[17] constructs her form for the most part in sheltered spots during cold weather and in shady thickets during the hot season, but in spring and autumn on ground exposed to the sun. Not so the running [18] animal, for the simple reason that she is scared out of her wits by the hounds.[19]
[17] 'The form-frequenting hare.'
[18] 'Her roving congener,' i.e. the hunted hare that squats. The
distinction drawn is between the form chosen by the hare for her
own comfort, and her squatting-place to escape the hounds when
hunted.
[19] i.e. 'the dogs have turned her head and made her as mad as a
March hare.'
In reclining the hare draws up the thighs under the flanks,[20] putting its fore-legs together, as a rule, and stretching them out, resting its chin on the tips of its feet. It spreads its ears out over the shoulder-blades, and so shelters the tender parts of its body; its hair serves as a protection,[21] being thick and of a downy texture. When awake it keeps on blinking its eyelids,[22] but when asleep the eyelids remain wide open and motionless, and the eyes rigidly fixed; during sleep it moves its nostrils frequently, if awake less often.
[20] Pollux, v. 72.
[21] Or, 'as a waterproof.'
[22] So Pollux, ib.
When the earth is bursting with new verdure,[23] fields and farm-lands rather than mountains are their habitat.[24] When tracked by the huntsman their habit is everywhere to await approach, except only in case of some excessive scare during the night, in which case they will be on the move.
[23] 'When the ground teems with vegetation.'
[24] Or, 'they frequent cultivated lands,' etc.
The fecundity of the hare is extraordinary. The female, having produced one litter, is on the point of producing a second when she is already impregnated for a third.[25]
[25] Re hyper-foetation cf. Pollux, v. 73, ap. Schneid.; Herod. iii.
108; Aristot. 'H. A.' iv. 5; Erastosthenes, 'Catasterism,' 34;
Aelian, 'V. H.' ii. 12; Plin. 'N. H.' vii. 55.
The scent of the leveret lies stronger[26] than that of the grown animal. While the limbs are still soft and supple they trail full length on the ground. Every true sportsman, however, will leave these quite young creatures to roam freely.[27] 'They are for the goddess.' Full-grown yearlings will run their first chase very swiftly,[28] but they cannot keep up the pace; in spite of agility they lack strength.
[26] Cf. Pollux, v. 74.
[27] {aphiasi}, cf. Arrian, xxii. 1, 'let them go free'; Aesch. 'P.
V.' 666; Plat. 'Prot.' 320 A.
[28] Or, 'will make the running over the first ring.'
To find the trail you must work the dogs downwards through the cultivated lands, beginning at the top. Any hares that do not come into the tilled districts must be sought in the meadows and the glades; near rivulets, among the stones, or in woody ground. If the quarry makes off,[29] there should be no shouting, that the hounds may not grow too eager and fail to discover the line. When found by the hounds, and the chase has begun, the hare will at times cross streams, bend and double and creep for shelter into clefts and crannied lurking-places;[30] since they have not only the hounds to dread, but eagles also; and, so long as they are yearlings, are apt to be carried off in the clutches of these birds, in the act of crossing some slope or bare hillside. When they are bigger they have the hounds after them to hunt them down and make away with them. The fleetest-footed would appear to be those of the low marsh lands. The vagabond kind[31] addicted to every sort of ground are difficult to hunt, for they know the short cuts, running chiefly up steeps or across flats, over inequalities unequally, and downhill scarcely at all.
[29] Or, 'shifts her ground.'
[30] Or, 'in their terror not of dogs only, but of eagles, since up to
a year old they are liable to be seized by these birds of prey
while crossing some bottom or bare ground, while if bigger . . .'
[31] {oi . . . planetai}, see Ael. op. cit. xiii. 14.
Whilst being hunted they are most visible in crossing ground that has 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.
