CHAMBERS'S JOURNAL
OF
POPULAR
LITERATURE, SCIENCE, AND ART.

ABOUT RABBITS.

We all know that the rabbit is an interesting animal, easily kept inhutches on a little clover or dandelion. Boys like to keep rabbits,because they are amusing. In our day, we have kept rabbits, orkinnins, as they were called in the local vernacular, such being acorruption of the old well-known legal term, coneys. Our coneys thoughfew in number were an immense source of amusement. We built a house forthem with an exterior courtyard, gathered and brought dandelions forthem, which it was delightful to see them munching. Finally, we madesomething of them commercially, which was acceptable in the absenceof pocket-money. They did not bring much—eightpence a pair or so;but eightpence was a great thing in the days of yore, and was veryserviceable as a means of buying books.

Between the keeping of a few tame rabbits and the liberty enjoyed byrabbits in a wild state, there is a mighty difference. The tame rabbitscan be kept within bounds; the wild rabbits increase inordinately, andare apt to do mischief beyond all calculation. Originally a friend torabbits, we have lived to know that they are the torment of the farmer.It is not so much what they consume, but what they contaminate. Wholefields of hay are ruined by their odious presence. Instances could begiven of farmers claiming damage to the amount of a hundred a year fromtheir landlords on account of rabbits; and the best thing the landlordscan do is to allow their tenant-farmers to kill all the rabbits theycan lay their hands on. Not until then will there be any peace on thescore of this intolerable nuisance.

The rapid increase of rabbits once they have got a footing is oneof the wonders of nature. We could almost fancy that rabbits weredesigned to appropriate the whole earth; for, let alone, there willspring from a single pair through successive generations in one yearas many as sixty thousand! Of course, at this rate there would soonbe no vegetation left for sheep or cattle, and dead rabbits hangingup by the heels would be the only butcher-meat. Fortunately natureadopts means to keep the multiplication of these creatures in check. Itsends birds of prey, such as hawks and other kinds of raptores, alsostoats and weasels, whose function is to make constant w

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