640 Life-histories of Northern Animals 



ago, he saw a White-rabbit, that had stumbled into camp and 

 was 'cornered,' plunge fearlessly into a swiftly flowing river 

 and swim to the other side." 



popuLA- The Hare population of a given area in the northwest is 



more variable than that of any other large animal, as the 

 species more than most others goes in cycles of multiplication. 

 In some large districts it increases, for a period of years, reach- 

 ing enormous numbers; just why is not known, but it is gen- 

 erally believed, as already recorded, that a wave of fecundity 

 sweeps over the race. 



But invariably the year of greatest numbers is followed 

 by a year of plague, which sweeps them away, leaving few or 

 no Rabbits in the land. I should say then that Hares were 

 very scarce when there was but i to the square mile of woods, 

 and abundant when there was i,ooo. I have, nevertheless, 

 seen as many as 10,000 to the square mile. 



These periods of increase have been remarked on by 



every observer in the north-west. 



I find the following Rabbit years are on record: 



Lake of the Woods region, 1856, followed by plague in 



1857. (Professor H. Y. Hind.^) 



Upper Assiniboine, 1857."^ (Professor H. Y. Hind.) 

 Savanne Portage, about 70 miles west of Fort William, 



1858-9. (Professor H. Y. Hind.^') 



Northern British Columbia, 1872.*^ (Professor John 



Macoun.) 



Portage la Loche, 1875.^^ (Professor John Macoun.) 

 George Grieve says that 1884 was a Rabbit year in Mani- 

 toba along the Ridge that is two miles west of Reaburn. 



There with three others he shot 147 in three hours. 



"At Shoal Lake and Stony Mountain, Manitoba, Rabbits 



were very abundant 1883-4. In the spring of 1885 they were 



•Nar. Can. Red R. Expl. Exp., i860, Vol. I, p. 119. 



^°Ibid, p. 284. "Expl. Labrador, 1S63, Vol. I, p. 108. 



« Man. & Grt. N. W., 1883, p. 352. '' Ibid. 



