BUNNY COTTONTAIL 171 



and, backing into the farther end, springs the 

 trigger, and lo! he is caught at last. 



In mild weather, be it winter or summer, 

 all that the rabbit asks in the way of shelter is 

 a thick bunch of grass that will furnish him a 

 hiding place. Here he makes a nice form 

 which looks somewhat like a nest, and sits 

 quietly resting until all is quiet and he feels 

 that it is safe to go abroad in search of his 

 dinner. 



The polecat moves so slowly that his only 

 chance to catch Bunny is to take him by sur- 

 prise. The big birds which seek his life also 

 approach quietly, and catch him before he 

 knows that danger is present. Coyotes, foxes, 

 and dogs may take a chance on overtaking him 

 with a straight race, but Bunny is very clever 

 and has learned many tricks to throw them off 

 the scent. The Naturalist would sometimes 

 climb high in a tree, when, on a winter day, 

 he heard the bark of dogs that told that they 

 were following swiftly on Bunny's track. 

 When the leaves had fallen he could see what 

 was going on below for some distance around. 



When a dog would frighten Bunny from his 

 hiding place he would scamper away as fast as 

 he could run, with the dog barking at his heels. 



