t IO 1 



eaofe they have an opportunity of felscling a pro- 

 per place for their concealment. 



The ground, however, in a warren, Is eaten fo very 

 bare by Rabbits, that it is impoffible for them to 

 hide themfeives if they make a form in any part of 

 it, and they therefore very judicioufly choofe to bur- 

 row under ground. 



Another reafon, perhaps, for the Rabbit's burrow- 

 ing arifes from the animal's being not only born, 

 but continuing the firfb fix weeks of its life, under 

 ground ; they therefore only pracfife what they have 

 ieen and learned in their earliefl infancy, as birds 

 from the fame circumftance always build their nefb 

 in the fame form, and with the fame materials. 



I therefore cannot allow entirely of the diflinc- 

 tion arifing from the fuperior fagacity of the Rab- 

 bit, becaufe it burrows ; and Monf. de BufTon him- 

 felf informs us, that tame Rabbits turned into a>- 

 warren do not burrow for many generations [/"]. 



Having thus endeavoured to fhew that no proper 

 criteria have hitherto been fixed upon to diftinguifly- 

 the Rabbit from the Hare, I mail now venture to 

 iu^eft the two following, which, I flatter myfelf,.. 



Do O* ' » •> 



will be found lefs liable to the fame exceptions. 



If the hind legs of an European Hare are mea- 

 fured from the uppermoft joint to the toe, the num- 

 ber of inches will turn out to be juft half of the 

 length of the back, from the rump to the mouth 

 (the tail not being included). 



The hind legs of the Rabbit being meafured in 

 the fame manner, and compared with the back 

 are not much more than one third 5 from which 



[f] Hift, Nau. T. 5, p. 306. 



is- 



