42 THE RABBIT 



in proximity to game coverts. These animals get into 

 the habit of leading a roving life, gradually become 

 confirmed poachers, and sooner or later fall victims 

 to a trap or a charge of shot. Occasionally a cat 

 will take up its abode temporarily in a rabbit burrow, 

 and many instances are on record of cats being 

 bolted by ferrets, to the astonishment of those who 

 were anxiously expecting the appearance of a rabbit. ' 

 ^he following note from Mr. R. B. Lee is to the 

 point. He writes : ' On two occasions, during a 

 period extending over about a dozen years, have I 

 been ferreting rabbits when a cat has bolted from the 

 hole. The first time I thought it a most unusual 

 occurrence ; the second time I was accompanied by a 

 gamekeeper and a clever rabbit-catcher, both of 

 whom had had previously a similar experience, and 

 said that a cat was more easily driven by a ferret than 

 any other animal. It is, however, but seldom a cat 

 lays up in a bona fide rabbit burrow. Some years 

 ago I shot over ground which included a large extent 

 of rock, in which there were crevices and long under- 

 ground passages — not rabbit burrows properly, but 

 still holding a great number of rabbits. These holes 

 were favourite retreats for the semi-wild cats with which 

 the place was infested ; and certainly our ferrets had 

 ' See The Field, February 14, 21, and 28, 1885. 



