4:81 THE RABBET. 



of prey, of almost every description, v hich make 

 dreadful havoc among them. Yet, notwithstanding 

 this, in the time of the Romans they cnce proved 

 such a nuisance in the Balearic islands, :hat the in- 

 habitants were obliged to implore the assistance of a 

 iiiihtary force from Augustus to exterminate them. 



The female goes with young about thirty days. A 

 short time previously to her littering, if she does 

 not find a hole suited to her purpose, she digs one ; 

 not in a straight line, but of a zig-zag form. The 

 bottom of this she enlarges every Vv^ay ; and then, 

 with u quantity of hair which she pulls from her own 

 bod}, she makes a warm and comfortable bed for 

 her young. During the whole of the first two days 

 she never leaves them, except when pressed by hun- 

 ger ; and then she eats with surprising quickness* 

 ^nd immediately returns. She always conceals them 

 from the male, lest he should devour them ; and 

 therefore when she goes out, she covers up the 

 hole so carefully that its place is scarcely percepti- 

 ble to the eye. In this manner she continues her 

 attention for about a month ; at the end of which 

 period, the young are able to provide for 

 themselves. Notwithstanding the unaccountable 

 propensity which the male has to devour the m when 

 very young, yet when they are brought by the mo • 

 ther to the mouth of the hole, to eat such vegeta- 

 bles as she gets for them, he seems to know them, 

 t.ikes tlicm betwixt his paws, smooths their hair> 

 and caresses them with great tenderness. 



KabbetS; as they cannot easily articulate sounds, 



