220 THE RABBIT. 



look of inquiry, circles inquisitively round once or 

 twice, then scratches his neck with an air of in- 

 difference. His very manner seems to indicate that 

 this old fighting buck is the king of the colony, 

 and that one will hear more about him later on. 



The mother-rabbit takes her family to the home- 

 warren, whither most young rabbits go as soon as 

 their nest-days are over, and here their worldly 

 training begins. By no means are they the only 

 young rabbits occupying the burrow, for on sunny 

 days scores of the same age are to be seen sitting 

 about the warren- entrances, enjoying the warmth, 

 or shivering in the wind, between intervals of 

 nibbling the closely cropped grass. 



As the days pass they find more and more of 

 their own food, thus becoming less and less de- 

 pendent on their mother ; and she, sad to relate, 

 is very rapidly losing interest in them. Old Long- 

 Legs, the king of the colony, now begins to make 

 himself felt. When he has nothing else to do, 

 or the time seems favourable whenever, indeed, 

 he happens to think of it he amuses himself by 

 chasing the youngsters through the burrows, kick- 

 ing them and nipping them, and making himself 

 an unholy terror in their lives. At first their 

 mother sticks up for them in a half-hearted way, 

 for they are still quite small. But soon she seems 

 actually to forget which are her children among 

 the many that throng the burrows ; and so Long- 

 Legs bites their ears, kicks them head over heels, 

 chases them, and makes them squeal for mercy, 

 till finally they run and hide at the sight of him. 



NIGHT FEEDING. 



Each night the young rabbits venture a little 

 farther afield, becoming more and more interested 



