Sonffs of the Fields 



'to 



world teaclies them so nianj' painful lessons they 

 become wild and shy as their elders. 



AMien this young cotton-tail no longer felt the 

 need of the blanket his mother had raked her sides 

 to fm-nish, he trustingly came out to the big Molly 

 Avorld and on a strip of bank posed for many Cotton 

 studies. He greedily nibbled leaves, washed his 

 face when he finished, with all the care of a grass- 

 hopper, and then stretched himself for a sunbath. 

 "When his pictures were taken he was put with the 

 remainder of his family at the edge of the oats. 

 It must be that rabbits escaj^e their natural ene- 

 mies with much skill, or else they breed in untold 

 numbers, for every fall and winter men slaughter 

 them without mercy, and each succeeding fall they 

 seem to be quite as numerous. 



Hunters say that despite speed in running they 

 are silly creatures, and often sit perfectly still, 

 trusting to the resemblance of their fur to sur- 

 rounding dry grass and Meeds to protect them, un- 

 til they are killed. Not being a hunter, I can tell 

 little about these animals Avhen pursued. If hunted 

 with a camera that is concealed and focused on the 

 mouth of their burrow, and a few apples, pieces 

 of cabbage or carrots, of which they are especially 

 fond, left around, they tame rapidly and take 

 many interesting poses. It is doubtful if there is 

 anything so wild that it is not susceptible to judi- 

 cious friendly advances. We read in the Book of 



213 



