200 



NORTfl AMERICAN FAUNA. 



[NO. 27. 



ceding winter. The region about the lower Slave also abounded with 

 labbits. While j^addling a distance of 3 or 4 miles along a narrow 

 channel in the Slave Elver delta on June 19 w^e saw nearly 40 on the 

 banks, and shot several with a pistol. A party arriving at Fort Kes- 

 olution from Hay Kiver in June, having skirted the shore of the lake, 

 reported rabbits extremely abundant, and stated that a large pro- 

 portion of those shot had accumulations of pus beneath the skin of 

 the neck. Others have reported a similar condition in sick or dead 

 rabbits along the lower Athabaska. During their trip to the upper 

 Mackenzie in July my brother and Gary found the animals abun- 

 dant and took a number of specimens. 



In the country to the northward of Fort Eae the animals were com- 

 mon during August, and contributed largely to our larder. The 

 Dogribs entice them within shot by making a rasping squeak through 

 the nearly closed lips. To insure the proper salivary condition for 

 this vocal performance, they sometimes chew the bitter bark of some 

 shrub, usually Lepargyrcea canadensis. I easily learned to imitate 

 the sound by a modification of the squeaking in common use for al- 

 luring birds, and soon became a proficient rabbit caller. What attrac- 

 tion this sound has for the animals is not clear, but the method is 

 successful only during the summer or breeding season. Adults of 

 both sexes are attracted by the sound, but the young seldom respond 

 to it. As far as I could learn the native tribes of the lower Macken- 

 zie do not practice this method of enticing the animals, though I 

 found that it Avas equally successful there. Under favorable condi- 

 tions the animals respond to the sound by a hurried approach, usually 

 along a runway, and do not stop until suddenly arrested by the un- 

 expected sight of the caller, when they usually remain motionless for 

 a few seconds, apparently in wonder, and then bound away. The 

 same animal can seldom be completely deceived a recond time, but 

 usually can be made to approach within a certain distance, varying 

 with the nature of the ground, apparently to get a second look at the 

 intruder, and may be heard scurrying about and loudly thumping its 

 displeasure. Sometimes the approaching rabbit makes a grunting 

 noise as it rushes toward the source of the sound. This apparently 

 denotes great eagerness, as in such cases as I observed the animal al- 

 Y>^ays came very close, sometimes almost to my feet, before perceiv- 

 ing me. 



Along the south shore of Great Bear Lake to the eastward of 

 Mc Vicar Bay, I found rabbits uncommon, but occasionally saw tracks 

 or other evidences of their presence. To the west of Mc Vicar Bay, 

 where the countr}^ is better suited to their needs, they were more 

 abundant. At Fort Franklin rabbits w^ere common late in Septem- 

 ber, and at the rapids on Bear River a party of Indians were snaring 

 the animals by hundreds. They had now commenced to change to 



