The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1905-09-23
ABOUT WILD ANIMALS.


through the grounds of the Zoologi
cal Park looking at the animals ane
watching their tricks and capers. II
the party was retired officer of the
United States army. On return home
the party had dinner, and over the
coffee and cigars the General enter
tanned the company with a story which
the visit to the Zoo had called to his
mind.
During an experience of thirty
years on the great plains of the West
in their rough state | made quite q
study of the habits and customs oi
animals in their wild state," said the
General. "Of all the animals that live
from hand to mouth, Br'er Rabbit
seems to be especially defenseless and
the most eagerly sought after. Yet
it has been my experience that even
the harmless bunny will fight on occa-
sion and look fierce enough to scare
camel. On ranch near one of MY
early stations there was shepherd
dog that never tired of playing with
the numerous cottontails that dwell
under the cacti and in the big ledges
thereabout. The dog was always it, ;
for he never caught any rabbits. One
evening he flushed one in millet
patch and tore across dry creek bed
after it pretty close behind, but not
gaining to any encouraging extent.
"Just as he rushed past a large cane
cactus big rabbit flashed out like a
gray streak and hit him solid thump
in the side. Its onslaught was SO sud-
den and so we'll timed that Mr.. Dog
lost his footing, rolled over on the
hillside with yelp, scrambled to his
feet and raced headlong for the camp
with his tail between his legs. The
rabbit watched him and then hoped
back under the cactus again, squatted
on his launches, wagged his nose and
washed his face with his paws in
quiet contentment of a victory gained.
After that that dog always viewed that
particular spot with suspicion, and it
is doubtful if he ever knew what
struck him.
IT have seen cases where rabbit
would delight in playing with and
teasing dog as swallows sometimes
do with cat. But the rabbit is shy
about playing the same trick upon a
swift fox, just as swallows are shy of
teasing a weasel. You may think /
am Joking, but I have seen a moon
light party Of rabbits playing leap
frog and tag suddenly disappear in
their burrows as the scent of fox
crept down on light breeze. A jack
rabbit is fool, for, if you once start
him, he will run past hundred safe
havens of refuge and will gradually
work his way back to the place from
where he started.
"On the north side of the Colorado
| Canon in Northern Arizona are the
Buckskin mountains. Once. while
riding along looking at the beautiful
scenery, l noticed that two coyotes
were hunting, and they started a big
Jack rabbit. With bark and yelp
the chase began. 1t was worth wit
Messing from the point of vantage
occupied, and 1 watched it from the
start to finish. For the first few
Jumps both coyotes rushed and yapped
at the top of their lungs. Then one
of them fell back and lay down in the
snow until he blended with the land
scape. The other coyote forged on
at hard rate after the jack rabbit
following as closely as possible and
keeping up his yelping at great rate.
Little by little the rabbit swerved to-
ward the left until he had finally
made the circle and came back near
his starting point. AS he swung in
near the coyote that had stayed be-
hind the latter jumped toward him
with wild shrek of ferocity, and fol
the next hundred yards or SO that
rabbit broke all records in his efforts
to get away.
"When the waiting coyote took uI
the pursuit the one who had been do.
ing the chasing dropped down ano
rested. The next time the rabbit
made wider turn and took longer
time to get back, but back he die
come at last and then the program
was repeated all over again. But the
next time the rabbit returned to the
starting point he was too exhausted
to escape the rested coyote, and fell
victim to his foolishness in returning
to a point he had been twice warned
to avoid.
"Now, compare such foolishnes:
with the wisdom of the otter, who
seeing the footprints of a man nea
his house, will hide out for month
before returning to that place.
Gown cousin in foolishness to th'
rabbit is the skunk. Confident of hi
awful weapon of defence, skunk i
only equalled in reckless bravery By
the porcupine, and both are too stu
pid TO take any warning. Arount
army camps, where the cooks cut vi
canned food with a hatchet, it is no
an uncommon thing to catch skunk:
near by. The top of the can being
cut in quarters by two blows from
the hatchet, it is emptied of its con
tents and thrown on the waste pile
If that can happens to have held sal
mon it is irresistible to any skunk o
coon that passes to leeward of it. 4
little investigation locates it, paw /
tried and then nose. The yielding
top allows an entrance but forbids al
exit, and so, with the can as hood
the prowler falls a victim to those il
the camp.
cit is interesting to note the action
of an otter when he finds the track
of man near his home. He stop
and his hair bristles up and he casts
furtive look around as if he had beel
caught in the act of stealing chickens
Little by little he edges away, and
he has wife and children, sneak
off to them and hustles them out an