46 IN THE ACADIAN LAND. 



posed to kill and eat them. Nature takes many 

 plans to preserve her various species as long as 

 possible. In the case of the rabbit Nature de- 

 cided that he shall not fight. She made a non- 

 combatant of him, and " his table is always pre- 

 pared in the presence of his enemies," and this 

 fact is never forgotten by him. He depends 

 upon his eyes and ears to warn him of danger, 

 and then he depends on his hinder legs to take 

 him away from it. It is not often he is caught 

 in a race for life, but he is still-hunted and 

 pounced upon suddenly. Nature has provided 

 another protection in their changing color with 

 the seasons. Doubtless brown is the true color, 

 and white is a seasonal accommodation answer- 

 ing protective purposes. Where there is no 

 snow to speak of they do not become white. In 

 fact our rabbits are only white on the tips of 

 the hairs. I have seen one kept in confinement 

 turn white on all the hinder parts in one night. 

 In the grouse family the ptarmigans change 

 color in the same way. In the Arctic regions, 

 where they live, their greatest enemies are the 

 foxes, but they, too, become white in winter 

 from bluish in summer, and this becomes a 

 very favorable feature, enabling them to creep 

 unperceived on their prey. Arctic wolves and 

 bears and owls are also white. Ravens are com- 



