MAMMALS 305 



The tongue. — The tongue of the r.ibbit is tliick and 

 muscular and attached to the posterior part of the mouth. 

 It is flattened and taperetl toward the front. The soft 

 part of the tongue and certain areas on the thick part are 

 furnished with taste buds. It is believed that the sense of 

 taste is fairly well developed. 



The legs of the rabbit. — The fore and hind limbs, which 

 are the organs of locomotion, differ considerably in size 

 and strength. The hind legs are much longer than the front 

 ones and are more muscular. The front legs are cUvided 

 into upper arm, forearm, and hand. The upper arm is al- 

 most hidden by the skin so closely is it applied to the side of 

 the body. The hand has five digits, each ending in a horny 

 claw. The hind legs are divided into thigh, shank, and 

 foot, the latter having only four digits. 



Method of locomotion. — Wlien quietly searching for food, 

 the rabbit hops slowly about from place to place. AVhen 



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Fig. 202. — Diagram to illustrate the tracks made by a rabbit running. 



frightened, it runs swiftly by long, powerful leaps performed 

 with the strong hind legs. In leaping, the flexible body 

 is bent nearly double, the long, hind legs are spread apart, 

 and the hind feet are put down last, ahead of the front ones 

 and on the outside of the latter. The tracks made by a 

 running rabbit are represented in Figure 202. The two 

 tracks close together are made by the front feet, while the 



iierrick's zool. — 20 



