RABBIT SHOOTING. 1 67 



nies manage to live during the extreme cold weather 

 of winter, as their nests or covers are but the slightest 

 protection to them ; yet they are never found frozen. 

 They live in the winter by browsing upon the ends of 

 certain bushes and limbs, and by eating the bark of 

 trees, — the black birch is their particular favorite ; 

 and on this simple food they keep themselves fat and 

 sleek in spite of all their exposure. 



Hares and rabbits in leaping bring their hind feet 

 forward and outside of their fore-legs. This peculiar 

 mode of progression causes them to curve up their 

 backs, and at the same time gives them great power 

 to spring. It gives also to their leaping a peculiar mo- 

 tion, something like the movement of a rocking-horse, 

 or of a deer when running, — a rolling, half-circular 

 motion. In examining the tracks of a hare or a rabbit, 

 it is therefore worthy of note that the forward prints 

 are made with the hind feet. In shooting this game, 

 it is better not to take them either at the height of 

 their jump or when close to the ground, but between 

 the two extremes. 



The hound never catches the hare or rabbit ; at least 

 I never knew one to do it ; and it would be a wonder if 

 he did, in the kind of hunting of which I am speaking. 

 Rabbit hounds go entirely by scent, and do not see 

 far ahead in following the tracks. I have several 

 times shot rabbits so near to the head of the hounds 

 that they, not always following the exact line of the 

 track, have gone past and some distance beyond its 

 termination, without knowing where the rabbits were, 

 until the loss of the fresh scent stopped them. The 



