J60 IOWA AC^AUKMY OF Sl^lENCE Vol,. XXVI, i9iy 



J'rufcssur T. C. Slc'i^licns of Moniingsidc College al Sioux City 

 wrote that he had seen sonu' reference to these warls in sportsmen's 

 magazines in recent years, and that he had heard of one such rab- 

 bit being taken near Sioux City during the past winter, but that he 

 had the impression that they were not common there. He kindly 

 referred me to a paper on the subject by Edwin H. Barbour, in Pro- 

 ceedings Nebraska Ornithologists' Union, II, 1901, pp. 61-63, in 

 which it is stated that four out of five rabbits taken in certain coun- 

 ties must be thrown away on account of these "horns." 



1 wrote lo Dr. William T. Jlornaday, a former lowan, now Di- 

 rector of New York Zoological Park. As a hunter over many parts 

 of this and other countries, a keen observer and a taxidermist, he 

 would, 1 judged, be likely to know them if 'they were common. 1 Ic 

 replied, however, that: "in tlu' matter of the so-called warts on cot- 

 ton-tail rabbits 1 am obliged to confess ignorance and inexperience. 

 1 have seen nothing of the kind on any of our eastern rabbits, and 

 the whole subject is new to me." 



So far, I have been iniable to obtain the i)aper by Mr. Barbour, 

 but a letter from him states that "These horned rabbits are so abund- 

 ant in soulliern Nebraska that it is wasteful. Hunters throw away 

 the "spurred" rabbit. 1 have seen them with these spurs on all parts 

 of the body, but they generally occur as a ruff around the nose and 

 neck. These horns are sometimes three inches long. I was unable 

 to find any mites in connection with these." 



The whole subject of warts seems to be rather a mysterious one. 

 So far as I have been able to lind, the cause of the ordinary warts 

 on the human skin is not well understood. It is stated that the 

 blood from a wart will sometimes, but not invariably produce warts. 

 TluMr appearance and disappearance on the hands and fingers of 

 children seems dif^cult to explain. It is interesting to note that the 

 only records so far obtained of the occurrence of warted rabbits in 

 Iowa have been from the western border counties: from Council 

 lilulTs in Pottawattamie, Persia in Harrison and Sioux City in Wood- 

 bury counties, 'i'he other regions that I have noted are southwestern 

 South Dakota, southern Minnesota and southern Nebraska. It 

 might be of interest to know whether there is any species of irritating 

 bur or possil)ly some mite, tick or biting insect with a corresi)onding 

 (listrihulion. As lo the statement that thev are congenital, 1 have not 

 yet been able to consult the evidence on which this is based. Per- 

 haps it is sufficient. 



