50 . JACK RABBITS OF THE UNITED STATER. . 



netting and were not more tlian 2 feet high. Although he saw rabbits 

 leap much higher during the early part of the drive they made no 

 attemj^t to escai)e over the fences when the wings were reached, the 

 animals evidently being too wearied, as they had been driven for some 

 distance. On the other hand, in a small drive which took place near 

 Claremont on September 0, 1803, no wings or corral were built, but an 

 attempt was made to utilize a corner of a stone wall 3 or 4 feet in height 

 instead. The rabbits were driven only a short distance and when the 

 wall was reached it is said that most of them went over it like sheep, 

 and comparatively few were killed. In the great drive at Wildflower, 

 Fresno County, the wings, made of wire netting, were 3 feet in height 

 and extended for a distance of 7 miles, converging toward a circular 

 corral at the apex. ' 



A drive always means a gala day, and is a favorite way of celebrat- 

 ing some special occasion. The announcement is the signal for a 



gathering of tlie clans from 

 all the neighboring country 

 and the population of the 

 place is increased to sev- 

 eral times its normal size 

 when sucli an event takes 

 place. Excursionists are at- 

 tracted in large numbers by 

 the special rates oflered by 

 the railroads, and sometimes 



Fig. 2.— Diagram showing form of portablo corral iisctl l)y cQme from l)OiutS aS far 

 the Goshen Kabbit Drive Club. 



A, B, wings of wire netting each half a mile long; C, distant aS SaU FraUCiSCO 



corral GO to 200 feet m diameter; E, sliding gate. (From ^nd SacramCUtO. UpOU the 

 M. S. Featherstone.) ■ ^ -, ^ ■, 



ap])ointed day large num- 

 bers of people turn out armed with sticks and clubs, and, scattering 

 over a considerable nrea, start the rabbits and drive them toward the 

 mouth of the corral. Every available vehicle is pressed into service, 

 but the larger part of the throng is usually on foot. The lines grad- 

 ually close in, and the frightened rabbits, urged on by bh)ws and 

 shouts, rush blindly into the opening between the wings and are grad- 

 ually crowded toward the narrow end of the pen Avhere they are soon 

 disi)atched with clubs. Firearms arc seldom used either in driving or 

 killing, as clubs are cheaper, safer, and ecjually effective. The drives 

 take place in winter or si)ring, and the number of labbits killed varies 

 from a few hundred u[) to ten or even twenty thousand in a. single day. 

 The town of Traver regularly celebrates its birthday in April by a rabbit 

 drive and barbecue. On April 8, 18i>2, it was estimated that no less 

 than C,()()0 persons were present, and more than 4,000 people and 1,000 

 teams took part. 



See iigure iu Scieutific; American, LXI, No. !!•., Nov. it, 1880, i>. 295. 



