XXVI. MAMMALS 



Wood hare. From photograph loaned by 

 the American Museum of Natural History. 



The Rabbit. ■ — • Living rabbits may be kept in the Schoolroom in a box 

 open at one end, the open end protected by a door covered with wire screen- 

 ing. A rabbit thus kept, if given a little care, soon becomes accustomed to 

 his surroundings and will prove a very acceptable addition to the laboratory. 



Adaptations to Its Life. — The rab- 

 bit in a wild state makes its home 

 under clumps of dried grass, brush, and 

 the like. Its English cousins make 

 burrows in the ground. The rabbit 

 escapes observation from its enemies 

 by means of its color, which often 

 closely resembles that of the thickets 

 in which it hides. Notice the body 

 covering; is it uniform in color and 

 thickness? The hair forms a protec- 

 tion from the cold. In summer the 

 color of the coat is more earthlike than 

 in the winter. Some arctic forms un- 

 dergo a complete change of coat from 

 gray in summer to white in the winter. 

 Compare the fore limbs of the rab- 

 bit with your own arms; do you find 

 upper arm, forearm, wrist, and hand? 

 In the same manner find the parts 

 corresponding to thigh, shank, and foot in your own leg. Notice the differ- 

 ent methods of locomotion in the rabbit; seek the ways in which the limbs 

 of the rabbit are adapted to the function of locomotion. Notice the feet 

 to see if they are adapted for digging or for any other purpose. 



The rabbit relies principally on swiftness and agility in flight rather than 

 in ability to cope with an enemy with teeth and claws. Frequently they 

 will remain in absolute quiet, allowing their arch-enemy, the dog, to pass 

 close to them, relying on their protective coloration to escape notice. When 

 chased bj^ the dog, they have the instinct of running in a circle and will 

 during the chase suddenly jump to one side at a sharp angle in order to 

 throw the dog off the scent. 



The teeth are of considerable importance in connection with the food 

 and the method of obtaining food. Notice the prominent cutting teeth (the 

 incisors). Note the cleft upper lip. Feed a carrot to the rabbit and deter- 

 mine the use of the cleft. Which jaws move during feeding ? Notice that 

 they move sidewise as well as vertically; this horizontal movement is of 

 considerable use in grinding the food. 



If you examine the prepared skull of a rabbit the different kinds of 

 teeth may be easily identified and their functions learned. In front are 

 found the incisors. How many in each jaw? Separated from the inci- 

 sors by a gap are the molars or grinding teeth. How are such teeth 

 adapted to their function? With a hand glass note the position of the 



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