NATURE NOTES

Taupo Times, Volume II, Issue 81, 5 August 1953, Page 2

NATURE NOTES

A SWIMMING HARE An interesting observation on the swimming capacity of the hare has been sent to the Times by Mrs S. A. Krivan, of Hatepe, who writes as follows: "I do not know if many are aware how well a hare can swim. We were watching one, a large fellow, sitting on the opposite side of the river (the Hatepe). Suddenly it deeided to cross. and to our amazement swam swiftly across at the mouth of the stream, which was widened by flood waters. A dog would not have crossed as quickly." | Sir J. Arthur Thomson states that while the hare dislikes wetting its coat, which is slow to dry, it will swim a broad river to baulk pursuit or to reach greatly appreciated dainties, like musk and camomile. The II on. G. M. Thomson, in his hook "Wild Life In New Zealand," states that i hares have been seen to cross an arm of the sea a mile wide. It is probable, however, that such swimming feats are not often observed. Another unusual swimming observation was that made by a Taupo angler some years ago. Fishing at Jellieoe Point, Waipehi, on a morning when the lake was glassy. cairn, he noticed something moving on the surface of the water, directly in line with Motutaiko Island. From time to time, as he continued casting, he watched the slowly approaching object. Soon he could see that it was a V-shaped ripple upon the glassy surface. It turned out that this was caused by a rat, which had set out to swim from the island to the eastern shore. On reaching shore it walked slowly up the beach as if almost exhausted and disappeared into the scrub. Rats take to water readily, as many launch owners know to their cost, for boats anchored off shore in Ihe western bays of the lake have often had numbers come aboard by swimming out from land and climhing up the anchor rope. But a swim of several miles, such as that mentioned, is perhaps not so commoft an event. The Fate of a Hawk Mr H. Keen, of Taupo, had an interesting experience last summer, on the bank of the Waikato River above the Aratiatia Rapids. While lunching near the river, he heard a sound which, after listening for some time, he conclufled was made by a bird of some sort. It was repeated from time to time, and he made his way toward it. His surmise was correct, for floating in an eddy in the current, at the foot of the bank, he found a hawk. The bird was on its back, wings outspread, and it was soon obvious that it was unable to escape from its predicament, despite its struggles. The eddy into which it had drifted was carrying it round and round, but not within reach of any branch or twig, which otherwise it might have been able to seize with beak or claw. The bird was apparently quite tminjured. There were in the vicinity at that time a number of young wild duck, swimming on the river, and it seem dpossible that the hawk, in an attempt to take one of them, had over-reached itself and fallen into the river. If such were the case, it was certainly the last such attempt ever made hy that particular hawk.