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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



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FOOTPRINTS OF THE VARYING HARE, OR SNOWSHOE RABBIT 



The great size of the feet from which the creature is named is a strong feature of the track, 

 distinguishing it from that of the cottontail and others (see pages 387 and 405) 



bers that they are an important source of food 

 supply both to the Indians and to such preda- 

 tory birds and mammals as the great horned 

 and snowy owls, the goshawk, gyrfalcon, lynx, 

 fox, ermine, fisher, and others. The skins are 

 also used by the Indians for robes. 



Under favorable conditions they steadily in- 

 crease until they become enormously plentiful 



over great areas. After this swarming abun- 

 dance continues for several seasons it reaches 

 a maximum, and then, as in the case of many 

 other mammals when similarly overabundant, 

 a mysterious malady suddenly attacks and 

 sweeps them off, until within a year or two they 

 become rare over the entire area. The people 

 of the fur country believe these changes in 



