CHAPTER XVI. 

 BRANCH CHORDATA. 



CLASS MAMMALIA. 

 Example. The Common Rabbit. 



Habits. The common gray rabbit is familiar to many 

 under the name of " cottontail." This name is due to the 

 white fur of the ventral surface of the tail. As the tail 

 is held erect, the white part is very conspicuous when the 

 rabbit is running away from the observer. Our rabbit 

 unlike the English rabbit does not burrow, though it 

 sometimes takes to holes to escape pursuit, and perhaps 

 lives in them when other shelter is not convenient. In 

 pleasant weather the rabbits stay most of the time in 

 rather open spaces, hiding in bunches of grass. They do 

 not make any nest at such places, but simply find, or make, 

 an opening in a convenient tuft of grass, where they squat. 

 Such place is called a " form." In colder weather, especially 

 when there is snow, they find a more complete protection 

 in brush heaps, hedges, and patches of weeds, or even in 

 burrows. They are nocturnal, sitting quiet all day, or 

 coming out only in the cool part of the summer mornings 

 and evenings. But at night they come out and run about 

 for food, and many observers think they are very social and 

 enjoy playing together. 



Covering of the Rabbit. The rabbit has a covering of 

 hair. The bulk of the covering, the fur, is made up of 

 short, soft hairs. Among these, and more deeply embedded 



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