108 A RABBIT-FIGHT. CHAP. vn. 



There they had a rare set-to a regular rabbit-fight. 

 Babbits are fools at fighting. Their object seems 

 to be to leap over each other, and to kick the back 

 of their enemy's head as they fly over ; each trying 

 to jump the highest, and to kick the hardest. It is 

 a matter of jumping and kicking. Yet rabbits have 

 an immense power in their hinder feet. They often 

 knock each other down by this method of fighting. 

 They also occasionally fight like rams knocking their 

 heads hard together. Then they reel and tumble, until 

 they recover, and are at it again, until one or the 

 other succumbs. 



Edward is of opinion that the method pursued by 

 the male rabbits, of tapping in front of their neigh- 

 bours' holes, is to attract the attention of the females. 

 When the male comes out, instead of the female, 

 a fight occurs, such as that above described. At 

 other times, the rabbit that taps is joined by other 

 rabbits from the holes, and a friendly conference 

 takes place. But, besides this loud beating with 

 their heels, the rabbits possess another method of 

 communicating with their fellows. They produce a 

 sound like tap-pat! which is the sign of danger. 

 Edward often saw numbers of them frisking and 

 gambolling merrily about the mouths of their burrows, 

 but when the sound of tap-pat was heard, the whole 

 of the rabbits, young and old, rushed immediately 

 to their holes. 



Amongst the true night-roamers are the fox, the 



