72 JACK EABBITS OF THE UNITED STATES. 



the genus Cuterehra attacks these hares as it does deer, squirrels, and 

 wood rats, and punctures the skin in order to find a suitable place to 

 lay its eggs. The egg hatches soon after being deposited, and the 

 parasitic larva, becoming incased in a capsule immediately beneath the 

 skin of its host, forms a lump sometimes an inch or more in length, 

 which is usually known as a ' warble.' These Avarbles are most often 

 seen in July or August. The larva emerges from its ease in due time 

 as a perfect insect, and the wound heals, leaving little or no scar. On 

 some of the rabbits brought to market large 'water blisters' or 'boils' 

 are occasionally found, which are the larvie of a tapeworm {Tcenia 

 seriaJis). This larva is called Caniurus serialis,^ and has been found 

 in the California Jack llabbit {Lepus californicns), the Prairie Hare 

 {L. campestris), the Old World Hare {L. thnkhts) and rabbit {L. cti- 

 nicnlus), the coypu of South America {Mijopotamus coypu), a species of 

 squirrel ((S'ci?^rM«), and in the horse.- Cwnurus does not develop into 

 the adult tapeworm in any of these animals; but in the dog, and in 

 the coyote, whicli eats many rabbits, it reaches the adult stage. 



It is sometimes said that trichinosis may result from eating jack rab- 

 bits, and such reports are occasionally circulated by the ])ress. The 

 State board of health of Iowa recently published a report on trichi- 

 nosis, in which it leferred to the source of the disease in the following 

 terms, implying that there was danger of infection from rabbits: "In 

 all cases known the hog has been the source of the disease in human 

 beings, so it n)ay be said of nearly, if not all cases, that they are caused 

 by eating tricliinosed i)ork, although the rabbit and the hare are con- 

 sidered not behind the hog in suseeptibility to trichinosis. Hogs 

 become infected mostly from rats, and rabbits and hares become mouse 

 hunters in winter." (Seventh IJicnnial Heport, ISO.i, p. 80.) 



Hares and ral^bits rarely if ever eat mice or other small mammals, 

 and the danger of infection from this source is of no practical impor- 

 tance. It may be confidently stated that there is no authentic case of 

 trichinosis in rabbits on record, excei)t in those which have been pur- 

 jiosely infecte<l. Intil it can be shown that trichina' are actually found 

 in our native species, no danger need be apprehended in using rabbits 

 as game. 



HOW THE (;aMK is killed AM) Silll'PKD. 



It would be interesting to know the extent to which jack rabbits are 

 sold in the United States, but unfortunately it is practically impossi- 

 ble to obtain complete statistics. All that is possible is to cite a few 

 cases which will give some idea of the business. A correspondent in 

 Goshen, Cal., states that he sent at one tinje (February 10, 1S80), after 



'For a popular account of these 'blisters' see an article entitled "Cwnums of 

 the Hare," by Kathcrine Brandegoo, in Zoe, Vol. I, Nov., WW, pj). 2(>5-268. 



-This list of hosts (if Tania serialin has been kindly furnished by Dr. C. Wardell 

 Stiles, Zoologist of the Bureau of Animal Industry, I'. S. Dept. of Agriculture. 



