166 ANIMAL COMPETITORS 



extensively used as food. The half-grown or 

 nearly full-grown young of the year are usually 

 healthy and very good eating when properly 

 cooked. Those not needed for the table may 

 be fed to dogs and poultry, but should be 

 cooked. The principal natural enemies of 

 jack-rabbits are coyotes, foxes, bobcats, hawks, 

 owls, and eagles. When rabbits become abun- 

 dant these enemies gather to feast on them, and 

 then at least should be afforded protection. 



Rabbit fur is not in demand in this country 

 except for trimmings, since it is brittle, has no 

 underfur, and does not wear well ; but from one 

 and a half to two million skins are bought an- 

 nually to be made into felt for hats and similar 

 purposes, and it might be well for farm-boys to 

 enquire whether they could not profitably trap 

 .or shoot in their neighborhood for this and the 

 flesh market. 



General breeding-habits. Our American rab- 

 bits are not so prolific as the common Euro- 

 pean species. Some of them produce three or 

 four litters of young in a season, while others 

 seem to breed but twice. The period of gesta- 

 tion is about thirty days, and the breeding sea- 



