40 THE RABBIT 



throughout the winter, and pilfering in all directions, 

 and take to the woods and fields, just as Londoners quit 

 town for change of air when the fine weather sets in. 

 In the woods they take heavy toll of the pheasants' 

 food, eggs, and young pheasants, too, when they are 

 hatched, unless the gamekeeper looks sharp after 

 them and keeps down their number. In the fields 

 they take to the hedgerows, and especially frequent 

 such banks as have been already perforated by 

 rabbits. Here they have a fine time of it until the 

 ratcatcher comes along with his ferrets and ' varmint ' 

 dogs, and does his best to clear them out. 



In a dry summer we are accustomed to hear com- 

 plaints of a scarcity of rabbits, and the complainants 

 usually attribute it to the drought. Probably the dry 

 weather has nothing to do with it, and the true cause 

 should be looked for in one of two directions : either 

 the rats are out for their ' autumn manoeuvres,' and 

 the country wants ferreting, or the rabbits have been 

 too long isolated, and fresh stock needs to be im- 

 ported. They inter-breed to such an extent that if 

 new blood be not introduced from time to time their 

 numbers will eventually decrease. 



From the above remarks it will be gathered that 

 the stoat and the rat are rivals in the chase of the 

 wild rabbit ; they are also deadly enemies. The 



