ecorded on a map the locations
of capture in live-traps, nests and forms, locations where the animal
was observed in the field and the routes that it took between them. At
the end of the study a line was drawn on the map to enclose the areas
where the cottontail was known to have been.

Live-traps were operated intermittently at 130 stations between
December 8, 1954, and February 10, 1956. Sixteen cottontails were
marked in the same area by Robert L. Packard in 1954. Data from 7850
trap nights were used in this study. The traps were set at fifty-foot
intervals and the pattern approximated that of a grid in habitat
favorable for cottontails such as at edges of woodland. In wooded areas
traps were placed at fifty-foot intervals parallel to the edges. Traps
were not set on areas of poor habitat where neither cottontails nor
their sign were observed.

The traps were operated eight to twelve days and closed for two to five
days intermittently throughout the trapping period except in the months
of April to August, 1955, when trapping was unsuccessful because the
cottontails then were not attracted by bait.

Two kinds of traps were used in my study: those made by the National
Live Trap Company and those described by Fitch (1950). Both types
performed well and were serviceable under ordinary field conditions.
Experiments were made periodically throughout the trapping period to
determine which bait was most attractive to cottontails and least
attractive to birds, rodents, skunks, raccoons, and opossums. All of
these animals hindered operations by stealing bait and springing traps.
Corn, scratch-feed, carrots, parsnips, tomatoes, lettuce, apple,
cabbage, raisins, sorghum, sugar candy, and onions were used as bait.
Corn and scratch-feed attracted cottontails best in all seasons. Corn
was superior to scratch-feed, which was quickly stolen by small birds
and rodents. Eighty-nine cottontails (40 females, 49 males) were
captured in the course of the study.

Cottontails were marked individually at the time of first capture. When
necessary, the markings were renewed at later captures; in all such
instances the same color codes and numbers were retained for each.
Markings were of four types: numbered ear tags, colored ear ribbons,
colored tail fur, and colored feet. It was intended to make each
individual cottontail recognizable in a trap or in the field.
Occasionally when a predator had killed and eaten a cottontail the tail
and fe