10 
The Queensland Naturalist. 
March, 1923 
use as food. Cervantes alludes to it in liis immortal work 
(11, Vol. 2, p. 408), and in, the H])auish Rog'ue, published 
aibout the same period (12, p. 168), we find a ra'bbit pie 
among the dainties of a special repast. At one time 
there was, in some quarters, an objection that such use 
of rabbits was prohibited by Scripture (Leviticut^, 11). 
This objection has been disposed of, the coney of the 
Bible having been identified as Hyrax Procavia 
svriaca^ a small mammal that was first placed among 
the rodents owing to its general resejublance to them. 
Quaint old Isaac Walton must have seen some resem- 
blance between the flesh of rabbits and cats, becatrse in 
giving iustruetions for making ai paste to eateb carp, he 
says: *^take the flesh of a rabbit or cat, cut small, &c.'^ 
(13, p. 175). The same idea is responsible for a practical 
joke in Peregrine Pickle (Chap, xlviii). 
The earliest explorei*s in Nortli America found that 
the Indians had a taste for, the flesh of the rabbit. The 
IndiaBfj held communal hunts, a practice that has con- 
tinued iLinti] the ])resent day. Alvar Nuneiz Cabeza do 
Yaca, who made the first overland journe}^ in America, 
describes one that took placie about 1536 (14, p. 82). 
Among the Washo Indians, who occupy a very small 
territory in the Sierra Nevada, the rabbit was reigai^ded 
as such an important animal that there was a special 
hereditary ofBicial, called a rabbit boss,'' whose duty it 
was to siij)ervise all eoraani.inal hunting, but esrpecially 
that of rabbits. He had no 'authority over single liunters, 
but no organised hunt or drive could be carried on with- 
out Ir’ls sanction (15, p. 11). As far back as we have any 
records lli^ fur was largely used by North American 
Indians for clothing. In Coronado's* time, rol)es of woven 
ra-bl)it skills were worn (Ifi, ]j. 87). At tiie pres'ent day 
ral)l)it-fur forms the basis of felt for hats, and the skin 
is largely used for making gelatine jujube, sizing and 
glue (1. p. 13). and these animals are extensively bred 
for tlie market in both Great Britabi and the United 
States of Nortli America. 
The ]*a]U(lity witJi which rabbits increase i.s' matlei* 
of common knowledge, but tiiere is no reason to believe 
that the rate is liigher in Australia tliari in other ]):ii*ts 
of the woi’Id. The age at which they commence to breed 
is given by difl'erent Avriters as fi’om tliree to ^jix months. 
* Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, SpaniUi explorer of New Mexico. A.D 1510.154?. 
MA Ji f., 
