464 UPLAND SHOOTING. 



on a plowed field, or stubble; but even here, where one 

 would naturally expect to see them exposed, they have 

 the faculty of affiliating so closely with mother earth 

 that they are not seen until they rise, like a phantom, and 

 glide away. Their coat of hair is of that texture that 

 enables them to stand the severest cold or the scorching 

 rays of a southern sun. 



The young are brought into the world with a full coat 

 of hair, and eyes open, and are soon jumping about. 

 They are quite different from the cotton-tail in this 

 respect, which are born hairless, and remain in the nest 

 for about a week. 



The natural enemies of the jack-rabbit are the wolf 

 and hawk. When raised from his form, and if not 

 closely pressed, he will go away with a sort of hop-step- 

 and-jump, with ears erect, and will delude a novice with 

 the impression that he is crippled. If carefully observed', 

 it will be seen that they have the two hind legs close 

 together, and use them as one. As they hop away, they 

 change from side to side in a very defiant way, now and 

 then making a long, high jump. These tactics are kept 

 up for some time if pursued by a common cur dog; but 

 turn a greyhound loose in the wake of a jack-rabbit, and 

 he will find that there is a force in nature hitherto 

 unknown to him, and he unfurls his legs, drops his ears 

 close to his body, and you can only see a streak of jack- 

 rabbit half a mile long. When caught by a greyhound, 

 they are killed almost as quickly as though shot by a rifle - 

 ball, and for this reason all the elements of cruelty are 

 abolished in coursing. He is a prolific breeder, and will 

 probably never become extinct, and we can be assured of 

 always having a supply on which to try our greyhounds. 



The method of competition, or the manner of contest- 

 ing the speed of two greyhounds, will now be considered. 

 The dogs are drawn by lot, and in pairs, and an expert- 



