BLACK-TAILED JACK RABBIT 



routes, and during seasons of abundance may be seen literally 

 by hundreds. Sometimes communities have organized drives 

 against Black-tailed Jack Rabbits, when crops were threat- 

 ened by too great numbers, and thousands have been killed 

 in a single day's drive. 



These Rabbits are well characterized by large size, huge 

 ears, long hind legs and black tail, and will be recognized at 

 long distances. The speed of the Black-tail is so great that 

 the average Dog stands no chance of catching it and onlyOrey- 

 hounds can overtake it in a fair run. 



Both the senses of sight and of hearing are keen in the 

 Black-tail and often the Jack runs long before the hunter is in 

 range. At other times it may lie so close that it is almost 

 stepped upon. In brushy districts where the Jack must run 

 between the bushes, its course is erratic, but in tlie open it is 

 direct or slightly circling unless very closely pressed,' when the 

 animal may change direction very abruptly. When running, 

 every so often it leaps much higher than usual, probably 

 to enable it to watch the back track and the whereabouts, of 

 the pursuer. 



When not feeding. Jack Rabbits lie in forms or under 

 bushes. The form is merely a shallow depression in the dust, 

 and when the animal cowers in it, with ears lying close along 

 the body, one is apt to pass by without noticing the Jack. 



These animals do a great deal of damage in ranching dis- 

 tricts, gathering in large numbers about alfalfa fields or com- 

 ing in to hay stacks in winter. Natural enemies, such"as Coy- 

 otes, Wolves, Eagles, et cetera, check their numbers to a 

 certain extent, but since these latter animals are themselves 

 frequently killed at every opportunity, the rancher must rely 

 upon guns and poison to control the Rabbits. . 



Jack Rabbits have from two to four young in a litter and 

 may have several litters a year. Young Jacks are more easily 

 caught than young Cottontail Rabbits and are more apt to 

 remain motionless, trusting to their protective coloration to 

 escape. 



Genus Sylvilagus' 



Dentition: Incisors, f ; Canines, ^; Premolars, f; Molars, f =28. 

 ^ See footnote, page 478. 



493 



