the shortest run when started
out of thickets, where the very darkness is an obstacle.

There are two distinct kinds of hare--the big kind, which is somewhat
dark in colour (35) with a large white patch on the forehead; and the
smaller kind, which is yellow-brown with only a little white. The tail
of the former kind is variegated in a circle; of the other, white at
the side. (36) The eyes of the large kind are slightly inclined to gray;
(37) of the smaller, bluish. The black about the tips of the ears is
largely spread in the one, but slightly in the other species. Of these
two species, the smaller is to be met with in most of the islands,
desert and inhabited alike. As regards numbers they are more abundant in
the islands than on the mainland; the fact being that in most of these
there are no foxes to attack and carry off either the grown animal or
its young; nor yet eagles, whose habitat is on lofty mountains rather
than the lower type of hills which characterise the islands. (38) Again,
sportsmen seldom visit the desert islands, and as to those which
are inhabited, the population is but thinly scattered and the folk
themselves not addicted to the chase; while in the case of the sacred
islands, (39) the importation of dogs is not allowed. If, then, we
consider what a small proportion of hares existent at the moment will
be hunted down and again the steady increase of the stock through
reproduction, the enormous numbers will not be surprising. (40)

(35) {epiperknoi}. Cf. Pollux, v. 67 foll., "mottled with black."
Blane.

(36) Reading {paraseiron}, perhaps "mottled"; vulg. {paraseron}. Al.
{parasuron}, "ecourtee," Gail.

(37) {upokharopoi}, "subfulvi," Sturz, i.e. "inclined to tawny"; al.
"fairly lustrous." Cf. {ommata moi glaukas kharopotera pollon
'Athanas}, Theocr. xx. 25; but see Aristot. "H. A." i. 10; "Gen.
An." v. 1. 20.

(38) Lit. "and those on the islands are for the most part of low
altitude."

(39) e.g. Delos. See Strab. x. 456; Plut. "Mor." 290 B; and so Lagia,
Plin. iv. 12.

(40) Lit. "As the inhabitants hunt down but a few of them, these
constantly being added to by reproduction, there must needs be a
large number of them."

The hare has not a keen sight for many reasons. To begin with, its eyes
are set too prominently on the skull, and the eyelids are clipped and
blear, (41) and afford no protection to the pupils. (42) Naturally
the sight is indistinc