CHAPTER XIV 

 RABBITS AND LYNXES IN THE NORTH-WEST 



THERE are no Rabbits in the north-west. This state- 

 ment, far from final, is practically true to-day, but I 

 saw plenty of Lynxes, and one cannot write of ducks 

 without mentioning water. 



All wild animals fluctuate greatly in their population, 

 none more so than the Snowshoe or white-rabbit of 

 the north-west. This is Rabbit history as far back as 

 known: They are spread over some great area; con- 

 ditions are favourable; some unknown influence en- 

 dows the females with unusual fecundity; they bear 

 not one, but two or three broods in a season, and these 

 number not 2 or 3, but 8 or 10 each brood. The species 

 increases far beyond the powers of predaceous birds or 

 beasts to check, and the Rabbits after 7 or 8 years 

 of this are multiplied into untold millions. On such 

 occasions every little thicket has a Rabbit in it; they 

 jump out at every 8 or 10 feet; they number not less 

 than 100 to the acre on desirable ground, which means 

 over 6,000 to the square mile, and a region as large 

 as Alberta would contain not less than 100,000,000 

 fat white bunnies. At this time one man can readily 

 kill 100 or 200 Rabbits in a day, and every bird and 

 beast of prey is slaughtering Rabbits without restraint. 

 Still they increase. Finally, they are so extraordina- 



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