The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1882-02-17
The Jack Rabbit of Texas.

The jack rabbit is an nhabitant Of
Texas and of some other Western States.
He is often called the ''mule cared rab-
bit, and, by the cowboy, is famiiarly
spoken of as the "muley." He is not a
rabbit ut all. a rabbit is an unobstruc-
tive little animal who is found by school
boy in II hole III the ground at the end of
a long track in the snow. The so-called
jack-labbit is quite different Kind of
soup-meaL He is idcutical with the
British hare, except ;hat he is lArgor, his
color brighter and lis cars much longer.
Ills averdupois is about sixteen pounds,
AMI his ears mea urc, from ill., t. tip,
about sixteen inches lie ii4s under
cover Of bunch of prairie Grass, but is
very seldom found ut home, his office
hours between sunset and sunrise. lie
is 10 be found, during the day on the
open prairie, where he feds on the ten
der shoots of the mesquite or sage-grass.
lie is not ferocious animal, as a stran-
ger might be led to suppose from an cx-
animation OF what purports TO be his pic
ture, under the alias of "The Texan
Hare, in Governor Roberts book The
jrck-rabbit has several enemies, among
them the COW boy, who spots him with
his rifle; the coyote and the dog, that
try to run him down, aud the Governor
of Texas, above alluded to, who libels
him in his book. lie 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 observa-
ton, 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 pursuer. In giving his
whole attention to this matter, when
necessary, he is stupendous success and
earnest toa fault When dsturbei he
unlimbers his long legs, unfurls his long
ears, and goes off with a bound. He
generally stops after running about a
hundred yards and looks back to see if
his pursuer is enjoying the chase as much
as he thought he would.a and then he
leaves for parts unknown. There are
many fast things, from an ice boat to a
note maturing in the bank, but nothing
to equal the jack-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 jack-rabbit gait he makes
humiliating failure of it.
lie only gives the rabbit gentle exer
else. The rabbit merely throws up his
ears, and,under easy sail, skins leisurely
along, tacking occasionally to give the
funeral procession time to catch up. But
if You wish to see velocity, urgent speed
and preclpiiated haste, You have only tc
turn loose greyhound in the wake
Of jack-rabbit Pursued by
greyhound h will "let himself out
in a manner that would astonsh a pre-
paid halfrate message. If he b. rab
bit that has never had any expericnc,
with greyhound before, he will star
off at an easy pace, bnt as he turns t,
wink dUisiycly at what he supposcs f
be an ordinary yellow dog, he realize
, that there is "A force in nature hithert,
unknown to him, and his look of aston
ishment, alarm and disgust as he furl
his ears and promptly declines the nom
ination, is amusing. Under such circun
stances he goes too fast for the eye {
follow his movements, aud presents tn
optical illusion of streak of iack-rabbi
a mile and a half long. TecaS Sifing,