the moss and leaves on which they run; in winter their robes are white as the snow. They will sit so still one must look sharply to see them. If they run on a dark surface in winter, or white in summer, they would easily be seen. We hunted them only in winter so we made the snare fence of dark material. We left little gateways wherethey could get in at the feed we put within the enclosure. Between these gate posts we fixed a stick in grooves high enough up for the rabbit to push in under it; we then tilted a pole, or bent down a slender tree, and fastened the end to this cross-piece. We fixed a noose of strong cord so that when the rabbit pushed his head in it would go through the loop; when he pushed the cross-piece out the pole would tilt up with the rabbit dangling by the neck or legs. We went some- times on moonlight nights and got them alive. We had an excitable time when we let them go in the house. Their meat was tender and nice; when cooked with pork and vegetables it made the whole dish very savory. I shot one black rabbit. I had seen it some days before, but people would not believe me when I told them. This day I had my gun and saw it within range. I was excited but brought down my game. I ran home with it in wild delight. It was a curiosity. It was glossy black with a white diamond shaped mark on its forehead.
How 4 Rabbit Steers Himself When Running
A rabbit has only a stump of a tail but it has long ears. When running fast it flops its ears to one side when making a sharp turn. I saw a jack rabbit, but not an Island rabbit, do this and it was laugh- able to watch him do it. A dog can run faster than a rabbit but a rabbit can turn quicker and get a good start in another direction before the dog can get on its course again. By repeating these quick turns the rabbit tires the dog out or gets to its burrow and escapes. I saw a fox hound try to catch a fox; the fox would let the hound get quite close then make a quick turn, the hound would go plunging ahead for quite a distance before he could turn. By that time the fox was far away in another direction. The fox escaped. It requires two dogs to catch a rabbit or a fox and they must be well trained to do it. - "The race is not always to the swift” nor the battle to the strong. Wits count for much in everything we do.
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