THE KABBET. 483 



and are formed into societies that live under groundp 

 have a singular method of giving alarm. When 

 danger is threatened, they timmp on the earth 

 with one of their hind feet ; and thus produce a 

 sound that can be heard a great Wviy by an.mals near 

 the surface. This, Dr. Darwin, from its singu- 

 larity, and its aptness to the situation of the animals, 

 concludes (though apparently upon false grounds) 

 to be an artificial sign, and merely acquired from 

 their having experienced its utility. He \\ill not 

 allow of any thing like an instinctive propensity. 



We have the following account in Dr. Anderson's 

 Recreations of Agriculture, of the regular produc- 

 tion of a singular variety of the Rabbet, with only 

 one ear. — " A gentleman of my acquaintance chanced 

 to find a Rabbet among his breed that had only one 

 car ; he watched the progeny of that creature, and 

 among them he found one of the opposite sex that 

 had only one ear also : he paired these two Rabbets 

 together ; and has now a breed of Rabbets one- 

 cared, which propagate as fast, and as constant pro- 

 duce their like, as the two-eared Rabbets from 

 which they were originally descended." 



The fur of the Rabbet is very useful in the manu- 

 facture of hats. The flesh, which was forbidden to 

 the Jews and Mahometans, i^ well known to be very 

 delicate. 



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