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THE HUNTER'S ARCADIA. 



Unquestionably scientists are correct in 

 classification. Still, the ordinary observer would 

 scarcely hesitate at first sight to believe this strange, 

 wary, timid little beast to be a rodent. 



Learning from several of my visitors that rock 

 rabbits abounded on some neighbouring copjes a short 

 distance to the westward, I resolved to spend an 

 afternoon shooting them. These animals are so 

 exceedingly wary that without a knowledge of their 

 habits, and taking advantage of a weakness (curiosity) 

 in their characters, the sportsman might almost inter- 

 minably go without the reward of even a sight of 

 them. To be brief, then, like nearly all mountain 

 residents, the klip-das only appear to apprehend danger 

 from beneath, therefore they must be approached from 

 above. Moreover, they are gifted with such curiosity 

 and a love of strange musical sounds, that they will 

 remain for almost any length of time staring and 

 listening when their attention is so attracted, pro- 

 vided always that no attempt is made to become on 

 too familiar terms with them. Thus I resolved on 

 the following programme : After proceeding to such 

 a position as would make the almost exhausted wind 

 of the afternoon favourable, a native was to enter 



