220 THE BOOK OF THE OPEN AIR 



are clever rabbit-stalkers. A small sorely of the depredations of the 

 cat will kill a full-grown rabbit, and ground-game. On the other hand, 

 carry it for some distance. And as there are tracts of land, especially in 

 cats on poaching bent trespass into the West of England, where the holders 

 the very places that bristle with rabbit derive the rent, and sometimes make a 

 gins, many of them are caught, and profit by the sale of trapped rabbits, 

 killed by the gamekeepers and trappers. In more fertile regions,where agriculture 

 On most keepers' trees you will see can be made profitable, rabbits are re- 

 trophies of cats' tails. garded as a pest, and there are constant 



Game preserving also encourages complaints of their damage to crops, 

 the increase of rabbits. In some locali- The rabbit's aversion to damp causes 

 ties the gamekeepers shoot foxes in it to select the driest and warmest 

 the interest of pheasants, grouse, and quarters. Sandhills by the seashore, 

 partridges, and all the weasel family chalk downs, and rocky soils are favour- 

 are marked down as vermin and, if able to the survival of communities 

 possible, exterminated by means of of these animals. The dry limestone 

 the snare and the gun. Hawks often of Derbyshire and the granite of the 

 seize rabbits. Even the little merlin, Western Counties afford healthy 

 that haunts the mountains and grouse habitats for rabbits. Boggy moorland 

 moors, can catch, slay, and carry off and very high hills are seldom closely 

 young rabbits. These winged enemies populated with rabbits, for these crea- 

 of the rabbit are also ruthlessly trapped tures have almost a horror of wet 

 and shot by game-preservers. Jack- ground and rain-exposed situations, 

 daws do not kill rabbits ; but they Heavy rain will deter rabbits from 

 often build in rabbit burrows and venturing out of their snug burrows, 

 among the rocks : and there are game- In wet weather rabbits often content 

 keepers who shoot jackdaws " because themselves with scanty food rather 

 they worry the rabbits." So the than endure the discomfort of soaked 

 naturally prolific rabbit derives in- fur. Nature has not protected these 

 direct protection through the system animals with a suitable coat for a 

 of trapping and the warfare against humid climate. The fur absorbs the 

 animals that are destructive to game, rain, and dries slowly after a drenching. 



As a result, many farms are overrun Rabbits dislike a wetting even more 



with rabbits, and farmers complain than cats shun water. 



