IHD RABBIT. 



Bhe abandoned the mntilated carcase and lapped greedily at the 

 basin till she had drained it dry. She then returned to her 

 young, and, so far from renewing her sanguinary repast, com- 

 menced licking the Uttle mangled body and expressing as 

 plainly as a rabbit could her regret at what had taken place." 



So far, then, it would seem that the true solution of the 

 mystery has been discovered ; but before the thirsty doctrine 

 is entirely accepted, it would be as well to inquire why it i» 

 that other animals, having free access to diink, and as much 

 of it as they can possibly require, occasionally devonr their 

 young P The propensity is common, not only among rats and 

 mice and hedgehogs, but among dogs and cats, who are not 

 so incommoded by the birth of young but that they can usually 

 get about the house again in the course of a very few hours. 

 As regards these animals, therefore, some other cause than 

 thirst must exist. An authority of considerable repute says, 

 " I have observed annoyance or ill health precede or accompany 

 this act in animals. If the rabbit be looked at, alarm seems 

 to change her nature ; and the bitch that devours her pups 

 will, upon inquiry, generally be' found to have suffered some 

 species of persecution. That the brain is affected there can be 

 no doabt, — the unnaturaJ propensity is of itself a proof; but 

 the strange appearance and the altered looks of the creature 

 sufficiently denote her state. She is not then savage — ^her fero- 

 city has been gratified ; and she seems rather to be afflicted 

 with the remembrance of the act she was unable to resist. She 

 is the picture of shame ; she slinks away at our approach ; 

 her aspect is dejected, but I think more with sorrow than 

 Crime." 



Besides the causes mentioned, hunger will induce a rabbit 

 mother to eat her young. Taking the number of reliable cases 

 hei'e and there quoted, however, the majority are in favour of 

 ascribing too eager meddling with her young as the chief cause 

 of her cannibalism. A very curious instance of this occurs in 

 a pleasing volume, " Anecdotes of Animal Life." The mother 

 of a very young family was displeased at the curiosity evinced 

 by several children respecting her httle ones, who were very 

 comfortably lying in the day-room. She therefore carried them 

 off, one by one, into the bed-chamber, picking them up with 

 her teeth. One unfortunate little creature was seized by one 

 of its ears, and in the struggle between its parent and itself, 

 the ear was fairly pulled off. The mother took the misibrtuue 

 very philosophically : she aie the severed ear, and then seizing. 



