THE COMMON RABBIT 183 



piteously, so that I could not think what was the 

 matter. On looking about, the reason was only 

 too apparent the young rabbits were lying dead ! 

 They had been killed by their foster brother and 

 sisters and everybody said, " What else did you 

 expect ! " 



It seems strange that one of the worst enemies 

 of the rabbit for a poaching cat is a demon 

 should so easily have been made to nurse and 

 bring up the young of what would appear to 

 be her natural foe ; yet really it is by no means 

 difficult to get cats to adopt young rabbits. I 

 have had three instances, and have known of 

 others. 



Poaching Puss must certainly take rank as a 

 factor in keeping down the number of our rabbits, 

 especially in the spring and summer time when 

 there are countless young ones running about, 

 but the elder ones too have cause to fear her 

 presence, yet curiously enough rabbits will 

 often regard a cat with comparative indifference. 

 One day when I was watching some rabbits busy 

 feeding by the side of a wood, a large black tom- 

 cat came out of the covert and began to stalk 

 them. His black colouring made the cat most 

 conspicuous, and undoubtedly every rabbit saw 

 him, though he crouched low in the grass and 

 wormed himself towards them a step at a time. 

 The nearest rabbits flipped their heels and cantered 

 off a yard or two, where they went on nibbling 

 the short turf. Those farther away paid no 

 attention at all; one sat up and washed its face, 



