38 () TEARBOOK OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



MEANS OF REPRESSION. 



When rabbits so increase in numbers as to become a menace to 

 crops, repressive measures become necessary, and under these circum- 

 stances the operation of such measures should not be restricted to the 

 open season. Laws should be so modified as to permit the farmer to 

 protect his crops by destroying rabbits upon his own premises when- 

 ever necessary. Several States already have such provisions; others 

 do not, although permitting the orchardist to destroy insectivorous 

 or other birds that attack his fruit, and a similar privilege in the 

 case of a recognized pest such as the rabbit should certainly be 

 granted. 



NATURAL ENEMIES. 



Among the agencies that help to destroy rabbits none are more 

 effective than carnivorous birds and mammals. These include lar^e 

 hawks and owls, eagles, wolves, coyotes, Ijmxes, foxes, minks, weasels, 

 and domestic dogs and cats. The list of our birds of prey known to 

 feed upon rabbits includes the marsh hawk {Circus Jmdsonius) , the 

 Cooper hawk (Accipiter cooperi), the goshawk (Accipiter africapil- 

 lus), the Harris hawk {Paralmteo unicinctus harrisi)^ the red-tailed 

 hawk {Buteo 'borealis and subspecies), the red-shouldered hawk 

 (Buteo lineatus)^ the Sennett white-tailed hawk {Buteo alhicaudatus 

 sennetti), the Swainson hawk (Buteo swainsoni) ^ the rough-leg 

 (Archihuteo lagopus sanctijohannis) ^ ferruginous rough-leg {Archi- 

 buteo ferrugmeus) ^ the golden eagle {Aquila chrysaetos) ^ the bald 

 eagle {Halicetus leucocephalus) ^ the long-eared owl {Asio wil- 

 soniamis), the short-eared owl (Asio accipitrinus) , the barred 

 owl {Syrnium varium), the great horned owd (Buho virgini- 

 anus) ^ and the snowy owl {Nyctea nyctea). Other smaller hawks 

 and owls sometimes destroy young rabbits. The large species, as the 

 eagles, the horned owl, and the buzzard hawks {Buteo) ^ are the ones 

 that prey most upon rabbits. Unfortunately, in many sections 

 where they are needed, these birds year by year are being ruth- 

 lessly killed and are becoming rarer. With certain exceptions the 

 same may be said of the w^ild mammals that destroy rabbits. 



HUNTING THE RABBITS. 



On the whole, in America hunting has been the most effective means 

 for keeping down the number of rabbits. In some parts of the coun- 

 iry this method was carried so far that lovers of the sport were com- 

 pelled to invoke legislation to protect the rabbit from extermination. 



As to methods of hunting, shooting is generally preferred. Fer- 

 reting usually is impracticable, since few of our native rabbits take 

 refuge in burrows. Moreover, the use of ferrets is forbidden by law 

 in some States which protect the rabbit. Coursing with greyhounds 



