SNARING RABBITS. 181 



the spring of 1896 in order to show its downy little 

 occupants to his wife. I visited the place a week 

 later, and upon examination discovered that the 

 burrow had been dug quite six inches further in, 

 and most of the nest and young ones transferred 

 to the new quarters. There was also a quantity 

 of newly-excavated earth outside the mouth of the 

 burrow. As the land in which the nest was situated 

 was very wet, probably a leakage caused through 

 the cutting of the sod directly over the young ones 

 induced their mother to shift their quarters. 



Rabbits are killed by poachers in various ways, 

 most of which are well known to everybody. The 

 animal's habit of using a fixed path in journeying 

 between its burrow and feeding ground renders it 

 liable to being caught in a snare during the night ; 

 and although some poachers are punctilious in regard 

 to the suitability of an evening for putting snares 

 down, I have seen a Rabbit run leisurely into one 

 in broad daylight. 



I was walking quietly alongside a wood in the 

 neighbourhood of Enfield one bright Sunday after- 

 noon last year, when I observed three Rabbits 

 run down the field I was in towards the hedge 

 dividing it from a wood. When within eight or 

 ten yards of their goal, I noticed one of them 

 suddenly turn a somersault. I was somewhat sur- 

 prised to see him stay and repeat this gymnastic 

 performance after his companions had disappeared 

 through the hedge. He continued to tumble head 

 over heels until I got close up to him, when I dis- 

 covered that he was in a snare. Although in very 

 good condition both his ears were a black swarming 

 mass of fleas. 



I do not think it is at all generally known that 

 Rabbits will sometimes turn and bite their captors. 



