312 WILD TRAITS IN TAME ANIMALS. 



for existence. And, thirdly, the fact that other 

 creatures having habits somewhat akin to those 

 of deer, but which belong to totally different 

 orders, have the same peculiarity, shows not only 

 that the white tail serves a distinct purpose in 

 the economy of certain of the cei'vidcE, but that 

 some " widely felt want " has been met in this 

 way. 



Every one who has wandered in the fields at 

 sunset must have noticed the white fluffy tails of 

 wild rabbits, and how extremely conspicuous 

 these are when the animals are scampering to 

 some place of refuge from a spot where they 

 have been disturbed. 



Now it is pretty obvious that every deer or 

 rabbit which advertises itself to its enemies in 

 this manner must incur greater danger than if 

 it remained concealed. This, of course, has been 

 specially the case since man became the chief 

 enemy of all edible mammals, and grew skilful 

 in the use of missile weapons. Many a rabbit 

 and many a buck has been betrayed to death by 

 his conspicuous tail when a hunter with a gun 

 has been prowling near. Perhaps, however, it 

 is not fair to mention guns as evolutionary 

 forces, since almost all the natural characteristics 



