180 OTHEK ANIMALS 



The red hunting-dog has it not at all. His foot is light 

 the foot of a runner. He is to wolves and jackals as a 

 peregrine to a buzzard. 



C. L. CHENEVIK TRENCH. 



November 21, 1908. 



A METEOROLOGICAL BABBIT 



Eecently I spent a holiday in Uist, the northmost of 

 the Shetland Islands, and went to see the Muckle Flugga 

 Lighthouse, which stands on a rocky islet, about a mile 

 from the north point of Uist. The lighthouse keepers 

 told me that for nine years they had a tame rabbit living 

 on the rock beside them. It had three holes on different 

 parts of the islet, over which it roamed at pleasure. The 

 keepers said that when they saw the rabbit going to one 

 particular hole they had learned that they might prepare 

 for a south-west gale. Have any of your readers noticed 

 that rabbits are susceptible to coming changes of weather, 

 and in any way prepare for them, as the Muckle Flugga 

 rabbit appears to have done ? 



T. B. 

 September 8, 1900. 



NOTE. This is extraordinary but not uncommon. 

 Countrymen " feel " a change of weather before it comes ; 

 most of us are aware of a thunderstorm in the air, and 

 many animals with senses far more highly specialized 

 than ours regulate their actions by an impending climatic 

 disturbance. 



One remembers Cowper's hare, Tiney : 



" His frisking was at evening hours, 

 For then he lost his fear; 

 But most before approaching showers, 

 Or when a storm drew near." 



Life itself is partly a rhythmical adaptation to the 

 11 external periodicities " of environment, setting up 



