190 WOODLAND CREATURES 



little wee rabbut in his jaws, an' out behind him 

 come th' old rabbut, an* she fetches him one 

 over th' back, so that he drops th' little 'un, 

 an' away he goes for th' bushes, an' her arter 

 him ! But th' little 'un was dead bit through 

 th' back o* th' neck ! No, I didner see no more." 



Their powerful hind-feet are practically the 

 only means of defence that rabbits have, for 

 they seldom make use of their teeth, though if 

 they liked they could inflict a severe bite with 

 their chisel-like incisors. The only time I have 

 known a rabbit bite was one day when ferreting. 

 A rabbit had been pulled out alive and unhurt, 

 and a small boy asked to be allowed to hold it 

 for a moment. The lad held it tightly by the 

 hind-legs, but for some unknown reason put it 

 over his shoulder, so that the rabbit's head was 

 near his neck. Suddenly, and without any 

 apparent reason, the boy gave vent to a piercing 

 screech ; at the same moment the rabbit was 

 seen racing away across the meadow. Angry 

 demands as to " what he was up to " elicited the 

 fact that the rabbit had bitten him in the neck 

 the blood was flowing freely ! 



Possibly the old bucks use their teeth in 

 fighting, and judging by the way their ears get 

 split they fight a good deal. However, in such 

 combats as I have witnessed the feet only were 

 used ; they waltzed round one another, each 

 trying to spring over the other and deal him 

 a blow on the back or head with the strong 

 powerful hind-feet. 



