JACK BABBITS 



223 



A typical meeting with a jack rabbit, near Coulterville, is described 

 in our notes of May 11, 1919. 



One of these animals was started up in a hillside field above the main road. He ran 

 a short distance up the slope, then stopped, standing first on the toes, then settled 

 down until the soles of the hind feet rested on the ground. I remained perfectly quiet 

 for several minutes and so did the rabbit. He stood in a quartering position and eyed 

 me monocularly. All this time the immense ears, appearing 

 more than twice the length of the head, were kept erect. I par- 

 tially closed my eyes and then noted how readily the rabbit 

 melted into the background, so that if it had not moved, it 

 could easily have been overlooked. Finally I started on and at 

 once the Jack bounded off and was lost to view behind some 

 brush plants. 



While we were camped along the shore of the 

 Tuolumne River below Lagrange in May of 1919, 

 jack rabbits were often seen close to the margin of 

 the stream. Tracks and droppings indicated that 

 they frequented the place. Whether they came down 

 (off the adjacent mesa) to drink we were unable to 

 ascertain. Their repeated occurrence close to the 

 river, where there was no particular sort of forage 

 to. attract them, made this at least 

 a possible explanation. Yet jack 

 rabbits do live in many places 

 where there is no water at all to 

 drink. 



The jack rabbit forages for a 

 variety of materials, including not 

 only grasses but also parts of 

 brushy plants. Where man has 

 taken possession of the country 

 and planted alfalfa, grains, or 

 other crops these animals naturally 

 turn to the new materials and 

 often take extensive toll. The 

 erection of rabbit-proof fences and 

 the killing off of the animals by various means have been resorted to in 

 efforts to protect crops. In earlier years rabbit drives, participated in 

 by all the residents of a region, were held in attempts to reduce the numbers 

 of jack rabbits. 



Seasonal fluctuations occur in the jack rabbit population. In 1915 the 

 numbers of the animals in the western part of the Yosemite section were 

 moderate, not great enough to excite comment on the part of our field party. 

 But in 1919 their numbers were notably greater. On the hills about 



Fig. 33. Head of California Jack Bab- 

 bit, one-half natural size. Compare with 

 figs. 34 and 35. 



