REPORT OF THE ORNITHOLOGIST AND MAMMALOGIST. 257 



Mr. William J. Howerton, of Florence, Ariz., writes: 



The little cotton-tail rabbit of this country occasions some damage by barking the 



young growth, but the damage is of comparatively little consequence and is chiefly 



done in the winter months. 



Mr, John S. Harris, of La Crescent, Minn., writes: 

 Hares often do serious damage to trees and shrubs. Some seasons acres of young 

 forest trees are barked by them. Maple and apple trees suffer most from their dep- 

 redations. 



Mr. J. W. Johnson, of Meriwether, S. C, writes: 

 Gardens are sometimes injured to a great extent by rabbits. They are particu- 

 larly fond of young cabbage, collard, and pea-plants; they also gnaw the stalks of 

 cabbage and coUards in the winter. They are more injurious if the winter is severe 

 than when the weather is mild. They are very injurious to fruit trees in the -win- 

 ter; they gnaw the bark from the ground up, as far as they can reach. Unless the 

 trees are protected they will often ruin a whole orchard of apple trees. 



Mr. J. C. Linville, secretary of the Agricultural and Horticultural 

 Society of Gap, Pa., writes: 



Rabbits are very destructive during deep snows. They gnaw off the bark above 

 the snow line, and cut off small trees as thick as a lead pencil. They seldom girdle 

 peach or cherry trees, unless apple trees are not at hand. The loss is very great. 



Mr. Thomas Mikesell, of Wauseon, Ohio, writes: 

 Rabbits peel small apple trees and also eat off the twigs. They peel other trees and 

 shrubs, the elder in particular. The damage is sometimes very serious. 



Mrs. A. L. Peabody, of Denver, Colo., writes: 



In the vicinity of Grand Junction the rabbits have injured young fruit trees to 

 quite an extent. It was done during the winter. 



Mr. F. M. Powers, of Angola, Ind., writes: 



Rabbits are destructive to vines and to small fruits, such as raspberries. They 

 injure young fruit trees by girdling and eating the bark. 



Mr. William H. Madison, of East Enterprise, Ind., writes: 

 Rabbits destroy many young trees, especially apple trees, by gnawing the bark and 

 thus gii'dling them. Tliis is done in the winter wlaen snow is on the ground. They 

 do some damage to corn in the field, but not to a serious extent. 



Mr. E. L. Reynolds, of Westville, Ind., writes: 



The gray rabbits make their home along the hedges, in thickets, and in the tim- 

 ber; they increase rapidly and are the pests of young fruit trees. They are very 

 plentiful in this part of the State, but their numbers are kept within bounds by the 

 hunters. 



Mr. N. W. Wright, of Farmland, Ind., writes: 



Rabbits gnaw the bark from apple and pear trees in the fall and winter. The 

 damage has been serious in many instances. 



Mr. E. S. Beach, of Valparaiso, Ind., writes: 



Rabbits injure trees in the winter, when there is a heavy fall of snow on the ground; 

 loss sometimes quite serious. 



Mr. J. C. Donaldson, of Gilbertsville, K Y., writes: 



Rabbits are injurious to grain crops, both by consuming the grain and by tramp- 

 ling it down. 



Mr. F. Eveland, of Ferry, Iowa, writes: 

 Rabbits are injurious to trees. They are most destructive in winter. 

 Mr. George R. Prescott, of Gait, Canada, writes: 

 Rabbits do some injury to vegetables, but not to a serious extent. 

 Mr. R. Elliott, of Plover Mills, Canada, writes: 



Rabbits eat herbage, chiefly clover. They girdle and bark all sorts of young trees 

 dm'ing the winter. 



17 AG— '86 



