Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XIV.djvu/167

 RABBIT 159 culus of Europe and the L. sylvaticua of North America; the family and generic characters have been given under HARE. The European rabbit or cony (L. cuniculus, Linn.), the lapin of the French, is about 16 in. long, with the tail 3 in. additional, and the ears also 3 in. ; European Babbit or Cony (Lepus cuniculus). the tarsus shorter than in the hare ; the gen- eral color gray brown, white below, the back of the neck rufous ; tail white below, blackish above, but pencilled with dirty white ; ears not tipped with black ; compared with that of the hare, the skull has the muzzle, inter- orbital space, and incisive openings narrower ; the mammse are five pairs, two pectoral and three ventral. In the wild state the rabbit in- habits Europe, except the more northern por- tions, and N. Africa ; it is thought to be origi- nally from Spain, but, being hardy, has been carried to most parts of the world ; it is easily distinguished from the hare by its smaller size, grayish color, and short feet and ears ; it also differs from the hares in its burrowing habits. Unable to escape from its enemies by speed, it seeks safety in deep holes dug in dry sandy places, living in society in what are called war- rens, with an ample supply of food, in places suitable for burrows, such as sandy heaths covered by a prickly furze. Remaining con- cealed by day, they come out at twilight in search of food, and often do considerable mis- chief by digging up the newly sprouted corn and gnawing the bark from young trees ; these warrens are often of large extent, and a source of great profit from the flesh and skins of the animals, which are caught in snares and traps, dug or drowned out, and hunted by dogs and ferrets. They begin to breed at the age of six months, have several litters in a year and five to eight at a time ; the period of gesta- tion is about three weeks, but, as the uterus is double, there may be two distinct litters at an interval of a few days ; the young are born blind and naked, in a nest lined with the mother's soft fur ; they are said to live eight or nine years. They seem to have social laws, the same burrow being transmitted from pa- rent to children, and enlarged as the family increases. Rabbits and hares appear to be 695 VOL. xiv. 11 natural enemies ; they are not found in the same localities, and when they meet they gen- erally engage in combat ; when brought up to- gether they do not produce a fertile offspring inter se, and hybrids probably never occur between them in the natural state. It has been estimated that in four years a single pair of rabbits would, if unmolested, become the progenitors of more than 1,250,000 ; but this increase is checked by the persecution of man and of carnivorous beasts and birds. Their ravages are more than counterbalanced by their flesh, which forms a nutritious and easily digested food, and by their skins, which are used in making hats and are dyed to imitate more expensive furs. The name rabbit or cony is erroneously applied in the translation of the Hebrew Scriptures to the shaphan. (See HYKAX.) Rabbits are easily domesticated, and in this state vary greatly in colors, size, and character of fur ; black, white, and gray are the prevailing colors ; in the silver-gray variety the hairs are white and black ; the Angora rabbit is noted for the length and softness of its white fur ; in the lop-eared varieties the size is three or four times that of the wild animal, and the ears are more or less bent downward from the base. When tame they do not pair like those in a wild state, and lose more or less the instinct of burrowing ; their flesh is also inferior in flavor, though more delicate and digestible ; the tame males not unfrequently kill the young. The American gray r-abbit (L. sylvaticus. Bach.) is about 16 in. to the root of the tail, and 26^ in. to the end of the outstretched legs, the tail to the end of the hairs 2 in. ; fur and pads of the feet full and soft ; on the back light yellowish brown, lined with black, grayer on the sides ; on the rump mixed ash, gray, and black, pure American Gray Babbit (Lepus sylvaticus). white below ; upper surface of tail like the back, below pure cottony white; posterior edge of ears whitish, edges of the dorsal surface toward the tip black, the rest ashy brown ; fur lead-colored at the base. This is among the largest of the short-eared leporidce of America,