The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1878-06-27
Rabbits.
IHarper's Weekly.1

One of the prettiest sights of the
country is to be found on the outskirts
of wood any fine evening, particularly
if the wood adjoins grass field or place
of young wheat. Rabbits are skipping
about, feeding and chasing each other
in all directions, but all provided with
an instantaneous mode of retreat, either
into the forest or into burrow, should
the observer make an incautious move
ment. If suspicious, the rabbit merely
squat and remain motionless; should
their surmise of danger prove correct,
one stamps loudly, and an immediate
stampede results. This curious stamp
ing may often be noted, and attentive
observation shows that it forms kind
of universal rabbit language, expressing
on occasion love, news of abundant
food, satisfaction, danger, watchfulness.
challenge to combat, and 80 on
through all the gamut of rabbits in
telligence. Each f these states of feel
ing has its appropriate stamp or stamps,
and when the public interest is involved,
as when tidings of dang~r are thus ex-
pressed, an almost instantaneous tele
graphic communication flashes through
the community. Rabbits fight in very
singular manner, with perpetual re-
course to what French boxers call the
sauate. Each endeavors to leap over the
other in duel of this kind, and to kick
his adversary's head in doing So. These
| tactics, if most amusing to a spectator,
often infict much pain and inj Try upon
the combatants, as they spring over each
other so quickly that the eye can
scarcely follow their movements. An
other exciting and common scene
at harvest-time is to watch the
cutting of the last few yards
of corn-6e1d. The reaping machine
drives round and round, momentarily
contracting the amount of shelter within
until there is at length a rush of be
wildered rabbits among the men, b VI
and dogs that beset the patch, on the
lookout for the escape of these animals
Loud is the cheering and laughter, anG
great the agility evinced by portly
laborers and sagacioussheep-dogs in pur
suing the hapless, terrified animals, bu
large proportion gets clear off. Their
is no need to descant on the enormou
numbers of rabt its annually exported
from Ostend to afford the British artisan
a savory dinner at low price. Regula
rabbit farms are maintained on the SAM
banks of the Low Country, where tn
creatures are daily fed with grass AM
! turnips, like SO many sheep, until thei
time comes to be sent over sea to Lon
don or Grimsby in large fiat hampers
f Dealers frequently keep them alive a
e these ports under sheds until the deman
7 grows, brisk. We have seen two hur
dred of them thus kept, and being blacl
gray, fawn-colored, and the like, the
! f,rmed a pretty sight. In one year r.
t Gently no fewer than one hundred an
= fifty thousand rabbits were sent frol
s Ostend to London weekly during th
$ season. Some million and a half al
annually sold by the licensed gam
: dealers of England and Wales. Add
. these enormous number of rabbits CO..
r. sumed throughout the country withol
d coming into dealers hands, and the
It computing their value at the low figu
e of shilling each, the most determine
: farmers friend must hesitate before
n exterminates this pretty race of animal
D. and deprives rural walks of one of the
s, greatest charms.