Beneficent Distribution of the Sense of Pain. 391 



front of the head as in heasts of prey, but on the side of the 

 head, very prominent, so that they are enabled to see before* 

 behind, and all around them ; their ears also can be turned 

 this way or that way to catch the slightest sound, added to 

 which, they have a degree of timidity which keeps them al- 

 ways on the alert. 



With regard to their sense of pain, it is well known that 

 a hare never, or very seldom, cries out when shot, even if 

 she receives her death-wound, if she can run a few yards and 

 hide herself ; but if her legs are broken, or she is in any way 

 stopped from running, even if caught in a net, which can give 

 her no real pain, she utters most piteous screams ; when fol- 

 lowed by dogs, her screams always begin before they have 

 actually caught her, and it is worthy of notice that she is 

 niuch more readily despatched than perhaps any other animal 

 of her size. 



Rabbits resemble hares in this respect, as they utter no 

 cry when wounded, but will do so from fear : if run down by 

 a stoat or weasel, they always cry out when the enemy gets 

 within two or three yards of them, and are generally so terri- 

 fied that they lie down and are caught ; therefore the cry in 

 this case is evidently from fear. 



I one day disturbed a rabbit which ran away in so singular 

 a manner that I followed it, and saw that the flesh had been 

 eaten away from the back of the head to the top of the 

 shoulders ; the sight was so sickening, that I turned away, 

 thinking the poor creature could not live many minutes. 

 About two hours afterwards, I went with a view to pick up 

 and examine the rabbit, and when I came to the spot, was 

 surprised to see it jump up and run away as before ; the per- 

 son who was with me ran after it, the rabbit ran into a bush, 

 and he caught it. Now, although the poor thing was so in- 

 jured, there was no cry when I first disturbed and ran after 

 it, or when it was disturbed and followed the second time, 

 but the moment it was caught it began to cry out, shewing 

 that fear could excite a cry which all its sufferings could not 

 do. 



When rabbits are caught in traps, if not taken out in a 

 short time they are almost sure to escape, either by breaking 



