72 JACK RABBITS OF THE UNITED STATES. 



the geuus Cuterebra attacks these hares as it does deer, squirrels, and 

 wood rats, and punctures the skin in order to find a suitable place to 

 lay its eggs. The egg hatches soon after being deposited, and the 

 parasitic larva, becoming incased in a capsule immediately beneath the 

 skin of its host, forms a lump sometimes an inch or more in length, 

 which is usually known as a ' warble.' These warbles are most often 

 seen in July or August. The larva emerges from its case in due time 

 as a perfect insect, and the wound heals, leaving little or no scar. On 

 some of the rabbits brought to market large 'water blisters' or 'boils' 

 are occasionally found, which are the larv* of a tapeworm {Tccnia 

 serialis). This larva is called Camuriis serialis,^ and has been found 

 in the California Jack liabbit {Lepus caJifornieus), the Prairie Hare 

 {L. campestris), the Old World Hare {L. timidus) and rabbit {L, cu- 

 nicidus), the coypu of South America {Mijopotamus coypu)^ a species of 

 squirrel (iSeiwri/s), and ill the horse.- Ca^nurus does not develop into 

 the adult tapeworm in any of these animals; but in the dog, and in 

 the coyote, which eats many rabbits, it reaches the adult stage. 



It is sometimes said that trichinosis may result from eating jack rab- 

 bits, and such rei)orts are occasionally circulated by the ])ress. The 

 State board of health of Iowa recently published a report on trichi- 

 nosis, in which it referred to the source of the disease in the following 

 terms, implying that there was danger of infection from rabbits: "In 

 all cases known the hog has been the source of the disease in human 

 beings, so it maybe said of nearly, if not all cases, that they are caused 

 by eating trichinosed pork, although the rabbit and the hare are con- 

 sidered not behind the hog in susceptibility to trichinosis. Hogs 

 become infected mostly from rats, and rabbits and hares become mouse 

 hunters in winter." (Seventh Biennial Report, 1893, p. 80.) 



Hares and rabbits rarely if ever eat mice or other small mammals, 

 and tlie danger of infection from this source is of no practical impor- 

 tance. It may be confidently stated that there is no authentic case of 

 trichinosis in rabbits on record, except in those which have been pur- 

 l)osely infected. Until it can be shown that trichina' are actually found 

 in our native species, no danger need be apprehended in using rabbits 



as game. 



now THE GAMK IS KILLED AND SHIPPED. 



It would be interesting to know the extent to which jack rabbits are 

 sold in the United States, but unfortunately it is practically impossi- 

 ble to obtain complete statistics. All that is possible is to cite a few 

 cases which will give some idea of the business. A correspondent in 

 Goshen, Cal., states that he sent at one time (February 10, 1889), after 



'For a populiir account of these 'blisters' see an article entitled ''Cienurus of 

 the Hare," by Kutheriuc Brandcgce, in Zoe, Vol. I, Nov., lH{)i), pp. 265-268. 



-This list ol' lu)sts of Ta'tila ser/rfi/.s' has been kindly furnished by Dr. C. Wardell 

 Stiles, Zoologist of the Bureau of Animal Industry, I'. S. Dept. of Agriculture. 



