RABBIT TRACKS 141 



doesn't. How are these tracks made, uncle, do you 

 know ? " 



" Yes, but I am going to let you and Rap find that 

 out for yourselves.*' 



" I know," said Rap; '' he swings his hind feet around 

 his fore paws. I've often watched one do it." 



" There is a Downy Woodpecker tapping on the 

 tree," said Mr. Blake. " Now Bunny sees it, and his 

 nose twitches as if he were saying, ' Hello ! is it only 

 you making all that noise ? ' " 



" I wonder what makes Rabbits so veiy scarey," said 

 Nat ; " they always seem to be afraid of something, and 

 their ears never stop jerking and twitching." 



"It's because everybody and everything is always 

 chasing them," said Rap. 



'' Precisely ! If you could spend a single day inside 

 one of their leaf-brown skins, you would very soon see 

 why poor brother Rabbit is so timid. Half of the year 

 he is hunted by man ; all the year, in wild places, he is 

 the daily meat of the Fox, Skunk, Mink, Wildcat, and 

 the larger birds of prey, and when he comes near vil- 

 lages or farms the house cats and dogs take their turn 

 at chasing him." 



" There's an everlastin' sight too many on 'em any- 

 way," put in Rod; ''if they wasn't kep' down somehow, 

 there'd be no use farmin'. If you mean to grow turnips 

 and mangels nex' year. Doctor, yer'll have ter clear 

 some on 'em out o' the lons^ wood." 



" I don't see why there are any left at all," said Nat ; 

 '' how is it, uncle ? " 



" Heart of Nature gives tlie smaller, feebler animals 

 many ways of hiding and a great many children, to 



