With a single exception they become white in winter and change to dusky or brownish in summer. The molt from the brown summer coat to the white winter one occurs with the arrival of winter snows, the exact time varying according to the season, the reverse change in spring being governed in a similar way by the disappearance of the snow. In the southern part of their range the change to the white winter coat is less complete than in the North. There has been much controversy over the manner of this change in color, some maintaining that on the approach of winter the hairs turn white with the first snow. It has been definitely proved, however, that both seasonal changes are due to molt. The Washington hare (_Lepus washingtoni_), which remains brown throughout the year, is the exception to the rule of white winter coats in this group of hares. It lives in the cool, dense forests of the humid coast belt of Washington and adjacent part of British Columbia, where the snowfall does not affect its pelage. In winter the large hind feet of the varying hares and their long, spreading toes are entirely covered with a heavy coat of hair, forming broad snowshoe-like pads, which enable their possessors to move about freely over the soft snow, a peculiarity that has given rise to one of the names in common use. In cool, forested regions varying hares range from Maine and extreme eastern Canada, including Newfoundland, to the Pacific coast, and from the stunted bushes bordering the northern limit of trees south to the northern border of the United States and beyond, following the higher Alleghenies to West Virginia, the Rocky Mountains to New Mexico, and well down the Sierra Nevada in California. As in the case of other species, these hares make “forms” in which they lie by day, for they are mainly nocturnal in habits. The mating season occurs in early spring, when the males become very restless, several sometimes congregating in the same vicinity and occasionally fighting and chasing one another about. At this time, as well as at other seasons, snowshoe rabbits have a habit of thumping rapidly on the ground, making a dull sound audible for some distance. This is probably done with the hind feet, as is known to be the case with the European rabbit. The thumping is apparently a signal and may be a part of the mating display, but is also used for warning purposes. Hunters in northern Canada call these rabbits by making a harsh squeaking noise with their lips. Sometimes they become so eager and excited on hearing this call that with odd little grunting sounds they come bounding close up to the hunter.