upon his bosom, coil his tail round his neck,
and then he died.

Hares and rabbits are also very affectionate. One of my little girls
had one of the latter, which she brought up in the house. He grew very
large, and was domesticated just like a dog, following you everywhere,
in the parlour and up into the bed-room; in the winter lying on the rug
before the fire on his side, and stretching out his four legs as
unconcerned as possible, even refusing to go away if you pushed him. As
for the cat, she durst not go near him. He thrashed her unmercifully,
for he was very strong; and the consequence was that she retired to the
kitchen, where he would often go down, and if she was in his way drive
her out. The hare and rabbit, as well as the deer tribe, defend
themselves by striking with their fore paws, and the blow which they can
give is more forcible than people would suppose. One day when I was in
a cover, leaning against a tree, with my gun in my hand, I presume for
some time I must have been in deep thought, I heard a rustling and then
a squeak on the other side of the tree; I looked round the trunk, and
beheld a curious combat between two hares and a stoat. The hares were
male and female, and had their leveret between them, which latter was
not above six weeks old. The stoat--a little devil with all its hair,
from the tip of its nose to the end of its tail, standing at end--was at
about two yards distance from them, working round and round to have an
opportunity to spring upon the leveret, which was the object of its
attack. As it went round so did the hares face him, pivoting on a
centre with the young one between them. At last the stoat made a spring
upon the leveret. He was received by the hares, who struck him with
their fore feet such blows as I could not have believed possible; they
actually resounded, and he was rolled over and over until he got out of
distance, when he shook himself and renewed his attacks. These
continued about ten minutes, and every time he was beaten off; but, at
every spring, his teeth went into the poor little leveret; at last it
gave its last squeak, turned over on its side, and died, the father and
mother still holding their relative situations, and facing the stoat.
The latter showed as much prudence as courage; for so soon as he
perceived that the leveret was dead, he also walked off. The hares
turned round to their young one, smelt at it apparently, pushed it with
their nos