operated on a 50-foot grid throughout this area.]

[Illustration: FIG. 2. Same area as above, on July 10, 1956, showing
the condition of vegetation in summer.]

PLATE 46

[Illustration: FIG. 1. View southeast from the north edge of "Picnic
Field" showing condition of the vegetation on December 3, 1954. Trap
lines were placed along woodland edge from which this picture was
taken, along road where vehicle is parked, along creek beyond road,
along edge of field beyond creek, and along edge of woods in
background.]

[Illustration: FIG. 2. Summer aspect of the vegetation, on July 14,
1955; same view as shown in Fig. 1.]

PLATE 47

[Illustration: FIG. 1. Condition of vegetation along woodland border
northeast of Reservation headquarters on December 3, 1954. Camera was
facing southwest. Traps were operated along this edge and in woods to
right and in background.]

[Illustration: FIG. 2. Condition of vegetation at edge of "House Field"
on July 14, 1955. Scale is shown by 4-1/2 foot tripod. Brome grass was
approximately two feet high. Traps were operated in a grid in this
area.]

PLATE 48

[Illustration: FIG. 1. Cottontail in bag with ear protruding, ready for
marking with nylon ribbon and metal ear-tag shown in upper right hand
corner. x 1/4.]

[Illustration: FIG. 2. Cottontail bearing ear-tags and ribbon. x 1/4.]

When moving undisturbed through the woods cottontails usually do not
pause to forage or associate with other cottontails, but keep to a
straight route except in severe weather, when, as noted above, they
find resting places in the woods. Ninety-two per cent of the
cottontails captured in live-traps were captured within 100 feet of a
woodland edge; six per cent were captured in the woods, more than 100
feet from an edge, and two per cent were captured in grassland more
than 100 feet from the edge. In winter, when the air temperature was
less than 20 deg. F., 22 per cent of the cottontails were captured
in the woods more than 100 feet from the edge.

The maximum distance between two centers of activity of an individual
was 700 feet, average 550 feet. If two centers of activity were
maintained, the cottontail usually traversed the entire home range
every seven to 11 days.

In no case was a cottontail known to have lived in two woodland edges
which were separated by open grassland. Cottontails usually did not
move more than 75 feet from suitable cover. In winter when herbaceous
vegetation was dormant