Prairie-hare 



671 



This prejudice, however, is entirely unfounded. The parasites 

 of the Rabbit are not injurious to man; furthermore, the ticks 

 and warbles occur at a season when the Rabbit should not be 

 killed for game; while the tape-worm can only develop in cer- 

 tain of the lower animals, e. g., in the dog or the Coyote. The 

 most important parasites of the Jack-rabbit are ticks {Ixodes), 



Fig. iSi — Prairie-hare with horns, each about 3 inches long. 

 The specimen was taken in Pierre, Dakota, and is now 

 in the collection of L. G. Fisher, of Chicago. 



the larvae of a fly (Cuterebra), and of a tape-worm {Tcenia). 

 Ticks are especially troublesome during the summer, and may 

 sometimes be found clustered about the ears in great numbers. 

 A large fly of the genus Cuterehra attacks these Hares as it does 

 the Deer, Squirrels, and Wood-rats, and punctures the skin in 

 order to find a suitable place to lay its eggs. The egg hatches 

 soon after being deposited, and the parasite larvae, becoming 

 incased in a capsule immediately beneath the skin of its host, 

 forms a lump sometimes an inch or more in length, which is 

 usually known as a 'warble.' These warbles are most often 

 seen in July or August. The larva emerges from its case 

 in due time as a perfect insect, and the wound heals, leaving 

 little or no scar. On some of the Rabbits brought to market 



