Cbap. 81.1 
HAEES. 
349 
rabbit it is extremely prolific, and produces famine in the 
Balearic islands, by destroying the harvests. The young ones, 
either when cut from out of the body of the mother, or taken 
from the breast, without having the entrails removed, are con- 
sidered a most delicate food ; they are then called laurices.^^ 
It is a well-known fact, that the inhabitants of the Balearic 
islands begged of the late Emperor Augustus the aid of a 
number of soldiers, to prevent the too rapid increase of these 
animals. The ferret is greatly esteemed for its skill in 
catching them. It is thrown into the burrows, with their 
numerous outlets, which the rabbits form, and from which cir- 
cumstance they derive their name,^^ and as it drives them out, 
they are taken above. Archelaus informs us, that in the hare, 
the number of cavernous receptacles in the body for the excre- 
ments always equals that of its ^^ears but still the numbers 
are sometimes found to differ. He says also, that the same in- 
dividual possesses the characteristics of the two sexes, and that 
it becomes pregnant just as well without the aid of the male. 
It is a kind provision of JNTature, in making animals which are 
both harmless and good for food, thus prolific. The hare, which 
is preyed upon by all other animals, is the only one, except 
the dasypus,^'' which is capable of superfoetation while the 
mother is suckling one of her young, she has another in the 
womb covered with hair, another without any covering at all, 
and another which is just beginning to be formed. Attempts 
^2 Or coney, " cuniculus." Hardouin makes some observations upon 
the derivation of this term, to show that Phny was mistaken in supposing 
it to be of Spanish origin ; we have also an observation of Cuvier's to the 
same effect. — B. 
3^ "Laurices;" we have no explanation of this word in any of the 
veditions of Pliny. Its origin appears to be quite unknown. 
3* According to Cuvier, the Mustek furo of Linnaeus. Ajasson, tthi 
supra. — B. 
Because, as Yarro says, De Ee Rus. B. iii. c. 12, they are in the habit 
of making burrows — cuniculos — in the earth. 
36 This reference to the opinion of Archelaus appears to be from Yarro, 
nbi Bwpra; the same reference is made by JElian, Hist. Anim. B. ii. c. 2. — B. 
'^'^ Respecting the dasypus of Pliny, it has been doubted whether it be a 
distinct species, a variety of the hare, or merely a synonyme. — B. 
38 It is by some contended, that the human female, and perhaps some 
other animals, have occasionally been the subjects of what is termed super- 
foetation ; whereas, according to Pliny, in the hare and the dasypus it takes 
place frequently, but in no other animals.— B, On this subject, see B. vii. 
c. 9. 
