THE STORY OF THE RABBIT. 
433 
The mountain hare is intermediate in size between the common hare 
and the rabbit; and fias a relatively smaller and more rounded head, with 
shorter ears, hind legs, and tail than the former. Throughout the year 
in Ireland and the south of Sweden, and during summer jn the greater 
part of the rest of its habitat, the general color of the fur is light gray; the 
tips of the ears being black. With the commencement of winter, however, 
except in the regions named, the fur gradually becomes more and more 
flaked with white, until 
at length it assumes a uni¬ 
formly white hue, save on 
the black tips of the ears. 
The rabbit has been 
introduced by h u m a n 
agency into several coun¬ 
tries beyond Europe, 
where it has flourished 
and multiplied to a de¬ 
gree beyond conception 
—so much so, indeed, 
that in Australia and 
New Zealand these ani¬ 
mals have become a per¬ 
fect pest and a serious 
hindrance to agriculture. 
Rabbits were first intro¬ 
duced at the period of 
highest prosperity of 
Australia and New South 
Wales by a patriotic gen¬ 
tlemen who thought it 
would be a good thing 
to import a few rabbits into> the colony, as they would serve for 
food and for sport. He accordingly imported three couple of rab¬ 
bits, and they were turned loose. It was not long before it was found 
that the district in question had been transformed into a gigantic rabbit 
warren. Indeed it was discovered that a single pair of rabbits, under favor¬ 
able circumstances, would in three years have a progeny numbering 13,- 
718,000. The inhabitants of the colony soon found that the rabbits were 
A BABY JACK-RABBIT. 
