RABBITS 125 



death, thus replacing the chisel-ed^e which is con- 

 tinually being worn away by use on hard sur- 

 faces. The power, therefore, of the rabbit to 

 commit damage on young tree growth, to girdle 

 and kill young trees, becomes obvious. If we add 

 to this the great breeding powers of the rabbit 

 —several litters from five to eight in each being 

 produced in a year — we see why this animal is 

 such a pest on the country-side. A yoimg planta- 

 tion may easily be killed right out in the course of 

 two to three years by rabbits if left unfenced and 

 netted. The damage committed is greatest when 

 the ground is covered with snow, the rabbits then 

 seeking their food from the bark of young woody 

 plants. It is also at this season that the rabbit 

 searches for and devours young natural seedlings 

 which have developed from the seed fallen from 

 the trees during the past season or two. 



Were it not for the rabbits, with the admirable 

 climate possessed by this country for forestry 

 purposes, it is not too much to say that in many 

 parts it would be comparatively easy to regenerate 

 the woods by means of this seed {i.e., with the young 

 trees developing from it) instead of planting up the 

 areas artificially after the removal of the old crop 

 of trees. It is this animal chiefly who, year after 

 year, removes during the following winter the thick 

 crop of germinated seedlings which may be seen 

 during the spring, summer, and autumn following a 

 good seed of the particular species of trees.* 



The rabbit is just as great a curse to the farmer. 



* See British Forestry, page 42, plate 9. 



