300 HISTORY OF 



fli)d its means of safety more certain. The hare seems to liava 

 more various arts and instincts to escape its pursuers, by doubling, 

 squatting, and winding; the rabbit has but one art of defence 

 alone, but in that one finds safety, by making itself a hole, where 

 it continues a great part of the day, and breeds up its young ; 

 there it continues secure from the fox, the hound, the kite, and 

 every other enemy. 



Nevertheless, though this retreat be safe and convenient, the 

 rabbit does not seem to be naturally fond of keeping there. It 

 loves the sunny field and the open pasture •, it seems to be a 

 chilly animal, and dislikes the coldness of its under ground habi- 

 tation. It is, therefore, continuH'ly out, when it does not fear dis- 

 turbance ; and the female often brings forth her young at a 

 distance from the warren, in a hole, not above a foot deep 

 at the most. There she suckles them for about a month, cover- 

 ing them over with moss and grass, whenever she goes to pasture, 

 and scratching them up at her return. It has been said, indeed, 

 that this shallow hole without the warren is made lest the male 

 should attack and destroy her young ; but I have seen the male 

 himself attend the young there, lead them out to feed, and con- 

 duct them back upon the return of the dam. This external re- 

 treat seems a kind of country house, at a distance from the 

 general habitation ; it is usually made near some spot of excel- 

 lent pasture, or in the midst of a field of sprouting corn. To 

 this both male and female often retire from the warren, lead 

 their young by night to the food which lies so convenient, and, 

 if not disturbed, continue there till they are grown uji. There 

 they find a greater variety of pasture than near the warren, which 

 is generally eaten bare ; and enjoy a warmer sun, by covering 

 themselves up in a shallower hole. Whenever they are disturb- 

 ed, they then forsake their retreat of pleasure for one of safety ; 

 they fly to the warren with their utmost speed ; and if the way be 

 short, there is scarcely any dog, how swift soever, that can over- 

 take them. 



But it does not always happen that these animals are possessed 

 of one of these external apartments; they most usually bring 

 forth their young in the warren, but always in a hole, separate 

 from the male. On these occasions, the female digs herself a 

 hole,' different from the ordinary one, by being more intricate ; 



1 Biiffon. 



V 



