BABBITS 171 



law in some States which protect the rabbit. 

 Coursing with greyhounds has many advocates 

 and is popular in the West, where the swifter 

 jack-rabbits abound. Smaller rabbits are often 

 chased with fox-hounds, but the beagle is rap- 

 idly taking precedence as a favorite for rabbit- 

 hunting, the gun being depended upon for 

 securing the game. All of these are most ex- 

 hilarating sports. 



Where the country is sufficiently open for the 

 purpose, one of the most successful methods 

 of reducing the numbers of rabbits is the or- 

 ganized hunt, known as the "drive." This 

 method has been tried in many localities in the 

 West and in Australia with satisfactory re- 

 sults, the number of rabbits killed in a single 

 drive reaching as high as 10,000 or even 

 20,000. 



Complete extermination of rabbits in any 

 part of the United States is not desirable, as 

 has been remarked, even if it were possible. 

 In most cases where protection seems neces- 

 sary a rabbit-proof fence may be cheaply con- 

 structed of wire netting, iy 2 inch mesh, from 

 2 to 3 feet high, with the lower edge sunk a 



