THE LIFE OF THE RABBIT 219 



luckless rabbit runs its head into the foot of one of these squatting rabbits 



noose, it closes tightly on the neck and without perceiving it. Sometimes you 



holds the victim fast. may see several rabbits crouching at 



More deadly is the gin, or spring- the base of the fir boles ; but unless 



trap, with its terrible teeth that meet your eye is educated, you will not notice 



with a snap when the unwary rabbit them, for the colour of the fur almost 



treads upon it. These traps have matches the colour of the fir bark. In 



been rightly condemned as cruel, but open fields, and on moors and downs, 



they are still set in most parts of the rabbits "lie close " on the ground, and 



country : for trapped rabbits fetch a may easily be mistaken for a stone 



higher price in the markets than those or a lump of earth. The poacher 



that have been killed with shot. frequently captures these sitting rabbits 



The rabbit of our country leads a by walking quickly up to them, and 

 life of constant alarms. It grows more falling upon his prey. You can some- 

 sagacious under the persecution of man, times touch a squatting rabbit, and 

 and with the increase of shooting and even a hare, with your stick or your 

 trapping it will develop still more foot before it will take to its feet and 

 intelligence. Rabbits frequently refuse run. 



to quit their buries when hunted by the The enormous increase of rabbits in 

 ferret. They may be learning that parts of the western counties is largely 

 it is better to endure the assault of a due to trapping. The traps catch 

 muzzled ferret than to rush out and other animals, and in fair numbers, 

 face half a dozen guns. The ferret and these are the natural foes of the 

 can inflict wounds with its claws, but rabbit. Foxes, for example, are con- 

 when muzzled it cannot give the stantly taken in the gins, as these 

 death-bite. implements are laid down in the chief 



The colour of the rabbit is adapted hunting-grounds of the fox. The rabbit 



to its environment, and there is no is the prey of the fox, and his principal 



doubt that the creature realizes this diet. Reduce the number of foxes 



means of protection. In the Crown and you will tend to over-populate 



lands of Berkshire and Hampshire, the warrens. But not only are foxes 



where there are thousands of acres of kept down by trapping ; the weasel, 



fir trees, rabbits sit close up to the the stoat, and the rarer polecat are 



trunks, and you may step within a caught in the traps. Many farm cats 



