The Wild Rabbit Warrens. 179 



fication, without offering too great inducements to quit the 

 banks. 



Rabbits on artificial warrens cannot be left without 

 covert of some sort in addition to their burrows, and it 

 will therefore be necessary to sow gorse seed here and 

 there, and adopt such other means as may quickly afford 

 the requisite shelter. Besides planting for covert, there 

 are other means which may be adopted temporarily ; a 

 collection of old tree roots in a particular spot, or a 

 quantity of large faggots placed on end, so as to allow of 

 multifarious interstices. We should, however, prefer some- 

 thing more permanent, and where laurel, hazel, beech, 

 willow, thorn, and small firm saplings can be obtained in 

 sufficient quantity and cheaply, the best plan is the forma- 

 tion of a belt of covert about four or five yards in width 

 the whole way, or a great portion of the way round the 

 warren, commencing at the extremity or corner where the 

 primary burrows are situated. This is best effected by 

 planting the above-named saplings fairly wide apart, in no 

 order, and then sowing broom or gorse seed, or both of 

 these, in between. Small patches of covert may then be 

 similarly formed at such parts of the warren as may seem 

 advisable. 



The construction of ridges of earth wherein the rabbits 

 may form their ramifications is, on such soils as are of a 

 loose sandy nature, by no means necessary, as the rabbits 

 will burrow in any spot, and taking kindly to their dwellings, 

 will remain perfectly healthy in them. The only eventuality 

 to be avoided is that of the ground becoming so honey- 

 combed as to be deprived of all moisture, and thus the 



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