THB BABBII 



lower parts. It would somewhat abate the annoyance if they 

 were known to be passionately fond of tree bark and ate of it 

 whenever they found a chance, but it must be admitted as 

 somewhat exasperating to find your promising trees naked as 

 high as a rabbit standing on his hind legs could reach, and all 

 the bark lying in ribands about the ground. It is possible that 

 they may sometimes eat the bark, but it would seem that Uie 

 chief fbject is to trim and sharpen the claws, as cats trim theirs 

 against the legs of our chairs and tables. 



It may not be here out of place to put the reader in pos- 

 session of a hint on the above subject, some time ago presented 

 to the world by a naturalist and rabbit-keeper of some repute. 

 " When the rabbits havie begun to devastate a plantation, they 

 will continue their destructive amusement till they have killed 

 every tree in the place unless they are effectually checked. 

 There are only two methoils of saving the trees, one of killing 

 all the rabbits, and the other of making them disgusted with 

 their employment. The latter plan is generally the most 

 feasible, and can be done by painting each tree with a strong 

 infusion of tobacco mixed with a sufficiency of clay and other 

 substances to make it adhere to the bark. This mixture 

 should be copiously appUed to the first three feet of the root 

 of every tree, so that the rabbit cannot find any portion of the 

 bark that is not impregnated with the nauseous compound, 

 and is an effectual preseiTative against their attacks." 



The burrow of the rabbit is an irregular and complicated 

 contrivance, as it had need be, considering the number of ene- 

 mies continually on the alert to work his destruction. Stoats, 

 weasels, and ferrets, are among the rabbit's most deadly and 

 bloodthirsty enemies ; indeed, when the latter animal is em- 

 ployed by the professional warrener to hunt rabbits out of 

 their burrows, it is necessary to muzzle its sharp jaws with a 

 leather muzzle or a loop of cord. If this shoi)ld happen to 

 slip off during the hunt, the warrener wiU see no more of his 

 ferret ; it will take up its abode in the warren, living like a 

 prince — that is, like a Dahomian prince — tfll the approach of 

 winter, when the poor rabbits are relieved of their sanguinary 

 foe, who one morning is found frozen to death. Foxes, too, 

 are particularly fond of young rabbits, and though they cannot 

 follow them into their burrows like the stoat and the ferret, 

 have a very ingenious method of digging them out. Cats 

 have been known to yield to the temptation of a rabbit warren 

 in the vicinity of their master's house, to turn from peaceful 



