JUNE, 1917 
FOREST AND STREAM 
261 
THE PLAYFULNESS 
OF COUGARS 
In the May Forest and Stream was pub¬ 
lished a note from Mr. J. H. Mclllree, of 
Victoria, B. C., relating to a cougar’s at¬ 
tacking two children near Cowichan lake. 
In a recent issue of the London Field a 
full account is given of this occurrence, 
which reads as follows: 
On September 23 last, about 1 p. m., two 
children, Doreen Ashburnham, aged eleven, 
and Tony Farrer, aged eight, left home with 
bridles in their hands to bring in their 
ponies from a pasture about three-quarters 
of a mile from the house. Before reaching 
the spot they were suddenly alarmed by the 
sight of a cougar (to use its local name) 
approaching alongside of the trail. What 
followed may be best gathered from the 
children’s own statements which were taken 
down in the form of depositions before a 
notary public, Mr. John R. Green, of Vic¬ 
toria, who has been good enough to send 
us certified copies; the originals having been 
filed with the provisional librarian, Parlia¬ 
ment Buildings, Victoria, B. C. 
The boy’s statement is as follows: 
I am eight years of age, and was born 
in London, England, on March 9, 1908. 
I have lived at Cowichan lake, British 
Columbia, with my mother since 1912. 
On September 23, 1916, at about one 
o’clock I left the house to go with Doreen 
Ashburnham to a pasture about three- 
quarters of a mile down the trail to catch 
our ponies, when about half a mile from 
the house we saw a panther coming 
round a corner a few feet away. The 
panther sprang on Doreen, knocking 
her down and remained on her back. I 
told her to stay quiet and not move 
and I jumped on the panther from a 
small bush and hit him as hard as I 
could with my bridle. This forced him 
off Doreen, but he turned on me. We 
(continued on page 272) 
These Youngsters Stood Off a Cougar 
WHERE “WAR BUNNIES” THRIVE 
IN THE LONE STAR STATE, HORNED RABBITS ARE 
SO COMMON NOBODY TAKES THEIR PICTURES 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
Here is a little information regarding 
the “horned bunnies” as we know them in 
Texas. 
I have always considered the growth on , 
these rabbits as a disease, which is most 
noticed during a droughty season, and un¬ 
derstand that they shed their horns the 
same as deer 5 at least this has been my 
observation. This is the time of the year 
they are due to shed them. This may 
sound strange, but to us they are common. 
We never eat them, and although we have 
remarked about it in a scientific way, we 
have never preserved a specimen, nor havel 
we any photos. Rabbits are a pest in this} 
state, and for one to take a photo of them] 
would bring down on him at least com¬ 
ments of “gross indiscretions,” I fear. 
I have personally killed as many as threi] 
specimens with horns in a single afternooij 
We find that sometimes they will haj 
clusters of them, ranging from around 
ears so low as to be on the abdomen./ 
We have heard from Mr. O’Sulj 
[who contributed the original articj 
the “war bunny” to the April Fort] 
Stream ] and he states that the gej 
offering the $1,000 for a live spej 
now dead. We are sending him H 
this letter. 
At my earliest opportunity I 
pleased to secure a photo, but I al 
to promise when this will be, as I] 
head over heels in work and hav 
time to devote to this as I woukl 
for the purpose of trying to enliglj 
one who might be interested. 
I have communicated with a pj 
and scientist in this city, Dr. R. 1 
a personal friend, and give you h" 
his opinion on the subject, whi 
incides with mine. 
“Horn-like excrescences and horn 1 
tuberances are occasionally met with 
prairie rabbit, and in particular the si 
cotton-tail rabbit. I have often met 
affected rabbits during hunting trips, t 
daily in or around cotton-fields and 
cactus thickets. The horny growths 
generally situated on one or both ears 
the nose, and seemingly originate fi 
some pathological condition or hypertrop 
of the cuticular and cartilaginous tissu 
Occasionally also such horny growths ai 
seen on or between the rabbit’s toes. 
“As to the primary cause I have no dat; 
or personal observations, but believe the} 
are of local and by all probability of para¬ 
sitic origin. In some instances it seemed 
as if the constant irritation from minute 
cactus thorns implanted in the rabbit’s 
cuticle caused such irritation and horny 
growth, but in most instances no such im¬ 
planted horns could be seen, and the hard 
protuberances were undoubtedly caused 
from the secretion of some parasitic in¬ 
sect which irritated and inflamed this 
cuticular tissue, which gradually developed 
into this hornlike excrescence. 
“Occasionally also similar singular or 
multiple small and wartlike excrescences 
are noticed in other parts ot the rabbit s 
anatomy, especially along the abdominal in¬ 
teguments, which would also lead to the 
suspicion that they are primarily caused by 
some parasitic irritation of the cutis.” 
It might be interesting to ascertain the 
climatic and other conditions at the time 
the Nebraska specimen was trapped: dry 
or wet; rocky region and in barren 
grounds, or in heavy foliage with food 
abundant ? 
I shall be pleased to answer any further 
questions on this subject from anyone who 
Deo. C. Shupee, 
hi. Dvster 
he War Bunny,” 
’O’Sullivan in your April issue, I 
toia it to some friends and found out that 
one of Oklahoma’s young sportsmen, 
Ennis Deweese, of this city, in company 
with Wyatt Bennett, killed a “whr bunny” 
in the past month or so. They said they 
were afraid to tell it, for fear no one 
would believe it, but it looked exactly like 
the picture; it had one long horn and one 
short. 
It was killed on Salt creek, in Choctaw 
county, Gkla., about three miles from 
Hugo. 
Hugo, Okla. W. C. Henry. 
