In hiding their homes and young, either in burrows or in nests on
the ground, wild rabbits and hares are wonderfully skilful, even
under new conditions. Being quite unable to fight, or even to dig
deeply, they are wholly dependent upon their wits in keeping their
young alive by hiding them. Thanks to their keenness in
concealment, the gray rabbit is plentiful throughout the eastern
United States in spite of its millions of enemies. Is it not
wonderful? The number killed by hunters last year in Pennsylvania
was about 3,500,000!

The most amazing risk that I ever saw taken by a rabbit was made
by a gray rabbit that nested in a shallow hole in the middle of a
lawn-mower lawn east of the old National Museum building in
Washington. The hollow was like that of a small wash-basin, and
when at rest in it with her young ones the neutral gray back of
the mother came just level with the top of the ground. At the
last, when her young were almost large enough to get out and go
under their own steam, a lawn-mower artist chanced to look down
at the wrong moment and saw the family. Evidently that mother
believed that the boldest ventures are those most likely to win.

Among the hoofed and horned animals of North America the white-
tailed deer is the shrewdest in the recognition of its enemies,
the wisest in the choice of cover, and in measures for self-
preservation. It seems at first glance that the buck is more keen-
witted than the doe; but this is a debatable question. Throughout
the year the buck thinks only of himself. During fully one-half
the year the doe is burdened by the cares of motherhood, and the
paramount duty of saving her fawns from their numerous enemies.