MAMMALS. 77 



what effect it has on tlie intriuler. Those at a distance often take up 

 the call note, which seems to be a warning signal, and, with patience, 

 one may ofteit have them calling on all sides. Finally deciding that 

 there is no danger, they will resume their work and run back and 

 forth from the meadows to the rock-sheltered haystacks Avith great 

 wads of grass and flowering plants in their mouths or sit on the rock 

 points to munch their midday meal of grass stems or other green 

 plants. It is usually possible with patience and perseverance gradu- 

 ally to win their confidence until they can be photographed at 6 or 

 even 4 feet from the camera. They are such gentle little animals 

 that it seems strange they have not been tamed and introduced as pets 

 for children, but it is doubtful whether they would thrive away from 

 their native rock piles. 



Family LEPORID^: Rabbits and Hares. -^ i Y « OJO'C"'Z 



Snowsiioe Eabbit : Lepiis hairdihairdiJIixjden. — The large wcwds* > '" A. 

 rabbits, pure white in winter and dark brownish gray with white 

 feet in summer, are common throughout the whole timbered area of 

 Glacier Park, mainly in the Canadian Zone. They are so protectively 

 colored in both winter and summer as to be inconspicuous and not 

 often seen, but their little trails through the bushes and their large 

 flattened pellets of sawdust droppings may usually be found any- 

 where in the woods. Occasionalh' one is seen in a trail or road early 

 in the morning or evening or is frightened out of its form under a 

 bush or log and goes bounding away with conspicuous flashes of the 

 big white feet until at a little distance it suddenly stops and sits 

 down on the white feet, absolutely lost to view. More often one 

 will -sit quietly close to the trail or allow a person to pass near 

 without making any move or sound. Even when they do run 

 their softly padded feet make little sound and they generally escape 

 without being noticed. Near the St. Mary Chalet at dusk one even- 

 ing I saw one sitting in the trail at the edge of the woods. It had 

 CA'idently found some salt or scattered grain which it was eagerly 

 j^icking up from the ground, and by approaching slowly and talking 

 softly to it, I was able to come v^dthin about 15 feet before it became 

 alarmed. Unfortunately the light Avas too far gone for a photograph, 

 but the rabbit ran only a few feet away and then stopped to wait until 

 the coast was clear for a return to its feeding ground. Apparently 

 it Avould not be difficult to bait them along some of the woods trails in 

 order to study them at close range. 



The food of these rabbits consists of green plants of a great variety, 

 especially the wild clovers and leguminous species, and in winter 

 chiefly bark and buds from twigs and bushes. As the snow gets 

 deeper it only raises them higher up to a new supply of choice buds 



