The Mad March Hare in Alice in Wonderland
March Hare
The March Hare, often called the Mad March Hare, is a character
from the tea party scene in Lewis Carroll's Alice's
Adventures in Wonderland
The main character Alice hypothesises, "The March Hare will
be much the most interesting, and perhaps as this is May it
won't be raving mad -- at least not so mad as it was in March."
"Mad as a March hare" was a common phrase in Carroll's time,
and appears in John Heywood's collection of proverbs
published in 1546. It is reported in The Annotated Alice by Martin
Gardner that this is based more on popular belief than science.
The saying refers to the hare's behavior at the beginning of
the long breeding season, which lasts from February to September,
when unreceptive females use their forelegs to repel
overenthusiastic males.
See Also:
List of Fictional Rabbits
Index of All Rabbit Care & Bunny
Fun Stuff
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