BABBITS. 105 



knowledge of English and of locusts put it one can almost walk 

 over the rabbits, as long as they sit still, without seeing them. 

 The warning white tail of the rabbit is a danger-signal to other 

 rabbits, for whenever a rabbit is running for shelter its white 

 scut warns all the others which it passes to run also. To h'nd out 

 with some approximation of accuracy whether my idea of the pre- 

 valence of coloured rabbits was correct or not, I ap'plied to Mr. R. S. 

 Black, of Dunedin, who is a very large exporter of rabbit-skins, 

 for information. Mr. Black informed me that, while they are of 

 all colours, yet 95 per cent, of the skins exported are grey. 

 The other colours appeal to the eye, but they are not so common, 

 after all. 



That the rabbits of aberrant colours should survive is not to 

 be wondered at, seeing that in this country there are no foxes, 

 and neither owls nor hawks large enough or active enough to 

 tackle a full-grown rabbit. The common harrier hawk takes a 

 considerable toll of young rabbits, but is quite unable to keep them 

 in check. In many districts wild cats live mainly on rabbits. 



I have from the far north an interesting record of a curious 

 habit among rabbits. Mr. Yarborough, of Kohukohu, writing in 

 August, 1916, tells me that rabbits became quite common in a dis- 

 trict near Kawakawa, at the head of the Bay of Islands, many years 

 ago. Recently they have reached the eastern side of the Hokianga 

 River, and it is not unusual to see them occasionally. Then he 

 adds this interesting statement : "I have never heard of any 

 rabbit-burrows, as they appear to breed among the rocks and 

 roots of trees." Another observer from an adjacent district says 

 that these animals are not uncommon near Kaikohe, where they 

 do make shallow burrows. The comparatively heavy rainfall of 

 Hokianga, amounting to from 60 in. to 70 in. in a year, has no 

 doubt a good deal to do with the comparative scarcity of the rabbit 

 in that part of New Zealand. 



