112 Rabbits —The Fox. (CHAP. VI. 
head as they fly over; each trying to jump the highest and 
to kick the hardest. It is a matter of jumping and kick- 
ing. Yet rabbits have an immense power in their hinder 
feet. They often knock each other down by this method 
of fighting. They also occasionally fight like rams—knock- 
ing their heads hard together. Then they reel and tumble, 
until they recover, and are at it again, until one or the other 
succumbs. 
Edward is of opinion that the method pursued by the 
male rabbits, of tapping in front of their neighbors’ holes, 
is to attract the attention of the females. When the male 
comes out instead of the female, a fight occurs, such as that 
above described. At other times, the rabbit that taps is 
joined by other rabbits from the holes, and a friendly con- 
ference takes place. But, besides this loud beating with 
their heels, the rabbits possess another method of commu- 
nicating with their fellows. They produce a sound like 
tap-pat / which is the sign of danger. Edward often saw 
numbers of them frisking and gamboling merrily about the 
mouths of their burrows; but when the sound of tap-pat 
was heard, the whole of the rabbits, young and old, rushed 
immediately to their holes. 
Among the true night-roamers are the fox, the otter, the 
badger, the polecat, the stoat, the weasel, the hedgehog, the 
rat, and almost the whole family of mice. These are, for 
the most part, nocturnal in their habits. No matter how 
dark or tempestuous the night, they are constantly prowl- 
ing about. Even at the sea-shore, the otter, the weasel, and 
the mice often paid Edward a visit. When on the hills or 
moors, he often saw the weasel, and sometimes the fox; 
but the fields and the sides of woods were the places where 
they were most frequently met with. All these animals, 
like the deer and hare, have their peculiar and individual 
calls, which they utter at night. 
Thus the fox may be known by his bark, which resem- 
bles that of a poodle-dog, with a little of the yelp in it; 
