Clafs I. ] 
QUADRUPEDS. 
43 
SPECIES II. The RABBET. 
The Rabbet, or Cony. Raii fin. 
quad' 204. 
Meyer's an. 1. Tab. 83. 
Gefiner quad. 362. 
Lepus caudatus, obfcure cinereus. 
Brifion quad. 140. 
Bufion Tom. 6. 303. Tab. 50,51. 
Lepus cuniculus. Lin. fifi. 58. 
Lepus cauda breviffima papillis 
rubris. Faun, fiuec. 20. 
Cuniculus terram fodiens. Klein 
quad. 52. 
Britijh , Cwningen 
French , Lapin 
Italian , Coniglio 
Spanijh , Conejo 
NAMES 
j 
Portua. Coelho 
o 
German , Kunigle, Kunele, Kunlein 
Dutch , Koniin 
Swedijh , Kanin 
T is well obferved by Pliny , that nature 
c hath fhewed great kindnefs, in caufing 
I • 
c thofe things to be moft prolific, that 
‘ are the moft harmlefs and the propereft for 
‘ our food. * 
This excellent obfervation of his, cannot be 
better illuftrated than in fhewing the great 
fruitfulnefs of this animal $ as it far exceeds 
that proof, brought by the ingenious author 
of the oeconomy of nature, in fupport of the 
fame quotation. The inftance he produces is 
the pigeon $ whofe increafe, from one pair, 
may in four years amount to 14,760 j* : but 
rabbets will breed feven times a year, and 
bring eight young ones each time : on a 
fuppofition this happens regularly, during 
four years, their numbers will amount to 
1,274,840. 
By this account, we might juftly apprehend 
being over ftocked with thefe animals, if they 
had not a large number of enemies which pre¬ 
vents the too great increafe : not only men, 
but hawks, and beafts of prey, make dreadful 
havoke among the fpecies. Notwithftanding 
thefe different enemies, we are told by Pliny , 
and Strabo , that they once proved fo great a 
nufance to the inhabitants of the Balearic 
illands, that they were obliged to implore the 
affiftanceof a military force from th e Romans, 
in the time of Auguftus , in order to extirpate 
them. %% 
* Benigna circa hoc natura, innocua et efculenta animalia foe- ** Plin, lib. 8. c. 55. Strabo, lib. 3. 
cunda generavit. Lib. 8. c. 55. 
4 Videfwedifh eflays, tranflated by Mr .Stillingfleet ed. ift, p. 75. 
GENUS 
