cottontails did not cross open fields.

Forms in grass clumps were the usual resting place for cottontails, but
others in brush piles, rock outcrops, and tree stumps were also used.
On the average a cottontail maintained 3.5 forms. If disturbed
repeatedly at a form, a cottontail would permanently desert it. On
seven occasions a cottontail used a form that had been used by another
within 24 hours. Three cottontails used the same shelter under a rock
ledge in five days; one was under the ledge on December 17, 1955, and
another was there on December 18. The first was there again on December
20 and a third was there on December 21. The original cottontail had
returned by January 2, 1956. There may be 20 to 30 resting places used
by cottontails within a single home range area since five to seven
cottontails may live there as co-occupants at one time. Two
cottontails, both males, lived together in a _Smilax_ thicket for three
weeks, resting within 15 inches of each other. Occasionally a female
was present in the same thicket, and rested about three feet from the
males.

A male trapped on land adjoining the Reservation and confined overnight
at the Reservation headquarters escaped the next day and was seen 32
days later, 1800 feet from the point of escape, back in the area where
it was originally captured.

A female confined for observation, escaped and ran in the direction
opposite from her home. Subsequently she was seen on four different
occasions, over a period of one month, in her original home range,
1,100 feet from the point where she escaped. Both these animals which
made homing movements had been removed in cloth bags from their homes.

Another cottontail removed from its home range and taken to the
laboratory building to be marked, escaped and ran to a nearby wooded
hillside without pursuit where it could be observed because of snow on
the ground and lack of leaves on the trees. The animal ran and hopped
about over a one-half acre area. Its movements seemed to be unoriented
and it frequently stopped and stood on its hind legs in order to look
about. After 10 minutes of this behavior, a red-tailed hawk (_Buteo
jamaicensis_) screamed as it flew overhead. The cottontail, stimulated
by seeing and/or hearing the hawk, ran faster, moving in circles until
it disappeared from view five minutes later. When last observed the
cottontail was 1,700 feet from its home range and was headed in the
opposite direction. It had pass