TERRESTRIAL 201 



the sand-hills or dunes to the sea side and the meadows to the 

 land side. To the naturalist who can give years to exploring 

 them, the links represent a very interesting transition area, but 

 to the teacher, who has many other irons in the fire, an excursion 

 to the links is apt to be disappointing. In contrast to the sea- 

 shore, the area of the links is not very densely peopled except 

 with insects, and although we have ourselves seen most interesting 

 natural history scenes on the links so often abandoned to golf, 

 which is eliminative of life in many directions, though happily pre- 

 servative of the players we cannot pretend that it is a very 

 promising area for a " Nature Study " excursion. In all such- 

 cases the policy is, of course, to be definite, to fix upon particular 

 animals and particular problems. On the shore, every one may 

 be a discoverer who looks long enough, keenly enough, and far 

 enough, but on an excursion to the links our experience is that 

 it is well to have some particular ends in view. 



The Links and Dunes. The rabbit is distinctive of the 

 dunes in many parts of the country, and its distribution is of 

 considerable interest, since the extension of its range is still going 

 on. It is becoming common where it was rare not very many 

 years ago, and it is, after all, a newcomer to Britain (from Spain 

 perhaps) compared with old residenters like the red deer. In 

 some places its prolific multiplication shows us in miniature what 

 has happened in Australia and New Zealand. From the Nature 

 Study point of view we may note the protective coloration of the 

 rabbit when at rest, and the possible value of the conspicuous 

 white tail as a recognition mark which the young ones may almost 

 automatically follow when disturbed in the twilight. Mr. Lydekker 1 

 writes : ' When alarmed by impending danger, the old rabbit 

 strikes the ground forcibly with the hind-feet, thus making a 

 sound which serves as a signal to her progeny, as well as to the 

 rest of the colony, to follow her white tail back to the burrow with 

 all the speed they can command." Why does the rabbit (Lepus 

 cuniculus) make a burrow, while our hares (Lepus europceus and 

 Lepus timidus) do not ? Part of the answer must be that the 

 rabbit brings forth naked and helpless young which require to be 



1 See (Lydekker) p. 222. 



