48 RABBIT-PROOF PLANTS 



upon the fowls of the air by the preliminary stages of 

 the bird-catcher's craft. 



Let me return, in conclusion, to Caithness, whither 

 I have dragged the reader once already. There is no 

 bird more typical of those northern wastes than the 

 pretty snow-bunting. There are many mammals and 

 birds which don white raiment in winter to match the 

 surrounding pallor, but the snow-bunting alone, I think, 

 among all birds, assumes a whiter plumage in summer 

 than in winter. The reason seems obvious that, whereas 

 it resorts in winter to temperate climes, where a piebald 

 coat will serve, it goes far north to breed on snowy up- 

 lands, where white is essential to concealment about the 

 nest. 



Xlla 



In the first series of these irresponsible papers I dis- 

 Rabbit-proof course d upon the discrimination shown by 

 plants various animals in their choice of food, and 

 furnished a list of the shrubs and herbs which long and 

 bitter experience had proved to be immune from rabbits. 

 Exception was taken to some of these by certain critics, 

 who pronounced my list too liberal, and averred either 

 that I had spoken unadvisedly, or that the malice of 

 their rabbits was of a more atrocious grain than that of 

 mine. Well, all I can say is this, that rabbits do greatly 

 abound in the woods wherein I have exposed to their 

 attacks all the plants named in my list, and that these 

 have not only survived, but flourished. It is quite true 

 that some of these shrubs, when first planted out, are 

 liable to be gnawed, out of wantonness, curiosity, or sheer 



