Mad March Hares –

A New Month and Spring Is Lurking

Yes it is a new month and the winter is still in full swing with yet another named storm battering the windows, but it is also the harbinger of the 2020 Spring. You won’t have noticed that the temperature has risen, but you will have noticed that the days are getting longer and the animals when they aren’t cowering in shelter have started to behave more friskily. It is the month for mad March hares because it is the time when they box each other for the love of the does.  In the UK there are three types, the brown hare, the mountain hare and the Irish hare. The much loved brown hare is the most common and easiest to see. To catch a glimpse of these go to arable farmland and if you have them any large expanses of grassland.  To recognise them look for golden brown fur and a white belly and long ears with black tips. These delightful speedsters can reach speeds of over 40 miles an hour over short distances when they are flat out.

Boxing Madness Is Hare Raising

They often dance on just their hind legs too and that is part of the mating ritual to garner female attention, just like men everywhere says the missus. And when they box, it is often the females doing the boxing to ward off over amorous males. Unlike many of the smaller British mammals hares do not hibernate or store fat so they need a constant food supply. They are herbivorous and eat a variety of grasses, herbs, twigs and bark to stay healthy. Many farmers view them as pests, but I can’t agree with that, these delightful creatures one of the wonders of our isles. Like rabbits the hare was probably introduced here by the Romans, so it’s one of the many answers to ‘what did the Romans do for us?’

Hare Today

Well you can also ask that question of us, ’What can James Pirie do for us?’ Well if like me and you love those Mad March Hares we have a fine selection of giftware for you to choose from and if you search for hare on the website, or just click on the link below, you will find engraved glasses, collectible fine porcelain and a Richard Cooper limited edition bronze sculpture. They range across the price spectrum and all offer great value for money. The bronze is a figure by Michael Simpson in a limited edition of only 150. The sculpture depicts the playful Hare posed in a boxing stance and will be a joy on any mantle-shelf or cabinet: An instant heirloom.

https://www.jamespirie.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=hare