142 FOUR-FOOTED AMERICANS 



make up for the dangers tliey run, as we found he did 

 with the birds. You remember that the Hawks and 

 Owls, with their strong beaks and claws, who nest in 

 far-away lonely places, laid fewer eggs than the birds 

 who were Aveaker, or more exposed to danger. You 

 know that the Ruffed Grouse and Bob- white, whose 

 nests are on the ground, have a great many eggs, and 

 are protected beside by the likeness in color of their 

 feathers to the leaves and rocks. Color protection, it 

 is called." 



"Oh, yes, I remember," said Nat. "Then do the 

 fourfoots have this color protection too, and do they 

 moult their fur as birds do feathers and change color?" 



" Don't you remember the Buffalo moulted his hair 

 every spring, and looked as miserable and ragged as 

 any old rooster ? " said Rap. 



" Yes, of course, but he didn't change color very 

 much, only sort of faded, and tlien plenty of birds like 

 Sparrows and Thrushes don't change much either." 



" Several of our fourfoots change color as completely 

 every year as the Bobolink or Tanager," said the Doctor. 

 * * * * * 



They readied the station not a minute too soon. 

 After settling themselves in the passenger car, — for 

 there was only one and one baggage truck, — as the frost 

 was too thick on the windows for them to look out, they 

 continued their talk about Rabbits. 



"How long must we stay in these cars? They are 

 dreadfully stuffy," said Nat, as he took off his cap and 

 scarf and helped Rap to unwind his. 



"Less than an hour," said the Doctor. "We go 

 around the hills and the mountain and stop the other 



