Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1882-03-19
THE JAcK-RABBrr OF rEx4a.

The iack-rabbit is an inhabitant
Texas and some other Western States.
lie Is often called the "mule cared rab-
DIT, )" and, by the cowboy, is Familiarity
spoken of as the "muley." He. is not
rabbit at all. A rabbit is an unobtru-
sive little animal, who is found by
school-boys in hole in the ground at
the end of long track in the snow.
The so-called jack-rabbit is quite diff
ferent kind of soup-meat. He is identi-
cal with the British hare, except that he
is larger, his color lighter, and his ears
much longer. His avondupois is about
twelve pounds, and his ears measure
from tip to tip about sixteen inches. He
does not burrow in the ground. He lies
under cover of bunch of prairie grass,
but Is very seldom found at home, his
Office hours being between sunset and
sunrise. He Is to be found during the
day on the open prairie, where he feeds
on the tender shoots of the mesquite or
sage grass. The jack rabbit has sew
aral enemies, among them the cowboy,
who shoots him with his rife, the coy
ote and the dog that tries to run him
! down. He has two ways of protecting
himself against his enemies. One way
Is to squat when he suspects danger and
fold his ears along his sides. BY doing
this he often escapes observation, as
only his back is exposed, the color Of
which harmoniZes with the brown of the
withered grass. The other plan that he
uses when discovered and pursued is to
create remoteness between himself and
his pursuer. In giving his whole atten-
ton to this matter when necessary, he
is stupendous success and earnest to
fault. When disturbed he unlimbers
his long legs, unfurls his ears and goes
| off with a bound. He generally stops
after running about 100 yards, and looks
back to see if his pursuer Is enjoying the
chase as much as he thought he would
and then he leaves for parts unknown.
There are many fast things, from an ice
boat to note maturing in bank. but
nothing to equal the iuck-rabbit. An
| unfounded rumor gets. around pretty
lively, but could not keep up with him
for two blocks. When an ordinary cur
dog tries to expedite a jack-rabbit route
he makes a humiliating failure of it. He
only gives the rabbit gentle exercise.
The latter merely throws up his ears,
and, under easy sail, skins leisurely
along, lacking occasionally to give the
uncral procession time to catch up.
But if you want to see velocity, urgent
speed and precipitated haste, you have
| only to turn loose a greyhound in the
| wake of n jack-rabbIt. Pursued by a
greyhound he will let himself ont" in
a manner that would astonish prepaid
half-rate message. Ii he is a rabbit that
has never had any experience with
greyhound before, he will start off at an
easy pace, but as he turns to wink de-
risively at what he supposes to be an or
binary yellow dog he realizes that there
is a pace in nature hitherto unknown to
him, and the look of establishment, alarm
and disgust, as he furls his ears and
promptly declines the nomination, is
amusing. Undersuch circumstances he
goes too fast for the eye to follow his
movements and rrasaOta the oDtico1 IL
fusion of streak of jack-rabbit a mile
and half long.-Aatstias (1eras) 4Sitt-
mas.