TEXAS NATURE OBSERVATIONS AND REMINISCENCES. 267 



these rabbits prefer to congregate 

 at night time, and fatten up on 

 the juicy plants where they do 

 much harm to plants and therefore 

 are annihilated as much as possi- 

 ble. Squirrels also, in olden days 

 roamed about in the forests and 

 fields in uncountable numbers, es- 

 pecially also in river bottoms dur- 

 ing the pecan crop, and in fields 

 doing much damage to both. In 



fur of all rabbits is thrown away 

 while if properly converted into 

 fur caps, these rabbit skins can 

 be utilized to much advantage as a 

 market value. The photo herein 

 of one such rabbit fur cap, 

 shows how neatly suQh cap can be 

 prepared; The ^y^riter has worn 

 this same cap for two winters and 

 it is very comfortable on cold 

 ^winter days and night time, as 



Mitchell's Lake Scenery in Winter 1909. (Photo By Writer) 



places near town -where they ex- 

 isted very abundantly they are 

 nowadays nearly exterminated, 

 with periodically a few specimens 

 in the close vicinity of our river 

 bottoms and forests. 



One item strikes the writer in 

 connection with rabbits consumed 

 by the wholesale throughout the 

 winter months, namely the fur of 

 these rodents. Usually the skin or 



well as ornamental and durable. 

 The upper crown part of this cap 

 was prepared from the fur of a 

 swamp-rabbit and the body or bal- 

 ance of the cap from jack-rabbit 

 fur. It was presented to me by a 

 lady relative and friend of one of 

 the oldest expert tannery firms of 

 San Antonio, the H. Haubold tan- 

 nery. 



