Feb., 1912. Mammals of Illinois and Wisconsin — Cory. 269 



This Rabbit is most commonly found in woods where there are 

 numerous thickets and in open country where there is plenty of under- 

 brush. It is not a burrowing animal in the strict sense of the word, 

 as it does not dig burrows, but it often occupies holes in the ground 

 and hollow trees and logs, and when pursued will almost invariably 

 seek refuge in such places when available. In this connection Nelson 

 says: "In some cases they enlarge burrows or dig the dirt from between 

 rocks or under boards to make an entrance under a house, but appear 

 never to make entirely new burrows" (I. c, p. 22). 



The Cotton-tail is a gentle, timid animal and when caught it never 

 attempts to bite but generally utters a sharp squeal of fear. When 

 suspicious or angry it has the habit of stamping the ground with its 

 hind feet like our domestic descendants of the European species. The 

 life of the Rabbits is by no means easy; practically all carnivorous 

 mammals prey upon them, as well as the larger hawks and owls; Minks 

 and Weasels hunt them persistently and destroy a great many. They 

 are very prolific, however, 4 to 6 young being bom at a birth, and there 

 are often three litters during a season. The nest is usually a mat of 

 grass and leaves lined with soft fur from the pelage of the mother, and 

 is placed on the ground concealed under bushes or weeds. According 

 to Nelson the young, when born, are naked and their eyes are closed 

 (/. c, p. 14). They are suckled and cared for by the mother for three 

 or four weeks, after which they are left to care for themselves. When 

 feeding and undisturbed these animals move about slowly with short 

 hops, advancing about a foot at a time, but when frightened or pursued 

 by dogs they can run fast for a short distance. Their long muscular 

 hind legs enable them to make leaps of from 8 to 10 feet, as shown by 

 tracks in the snow. 



The food of the Cotton-tail consists principally of grass, leaves of 

 shrubs and tender buds, as well as the bark of trees. In cultivated dis- 

 tricts they frequently do considerable damage to vegetable gardens 

 and fruit trees. Lantz says,* "The common cottontail is fond of fre- 

 quenting farms and plantations and makes its 'forms' under brush 

 heaps or in tufts of grass, bunches of weeds, briars, or bushes. . . . 

 It occupies this form, or nest, by day and at night moves about, feeding 

 upon the succulent vegetables in the farmer's garden, or the clover, 

 turnips, or com in his fields. In the fall it feasts upon apples, cabbages, 

 turnips and the like left exposed in garden and orchard; and in winter, 

 when all else is frozen hard or covered with snow, it turns its attention to 

 twigs and bark of woody plants, often doing much damage to young trees." 



For the benefit of fruit-growers I quote the formula of a wash given 

 by Lantz (/. c, p. 340), which has proved efficacious in protecting the 



* Yearbook Dept. Agr., 1907, p. 331. 



