a burrow under ground
or a sheltered place under a root or log closely concealed among the
bushes. This home is dry and affords a shelter from enemies, and from
wind, rain, and snow. From this we know that we must provide a dry bed
for our rabbit in a strong box in which it will feel secure, and in
which it will be protected from wind and rain. The food of the rabbit
consists of vegetables and soft young clover and grains. It also gnaws
the bark of trees, and in winter it feeds upon buds. We can, therefore,
feed our rabbit on carrots, beets, apples, oats, bran, grass, and leaves
of plants, and we must provide it with some twigs to gnaw, for gnawing
helps to keep its large chisel-shaped teeth in good condition. We must
be careful not to give it too much exercise, and we must not give it any
cabbage, because this is not good for the rabbit's health. A dish of
water must be placed in the hutch, for the rabbit needs water to drink.

III

Details, if studied in isolation, are uninteresting to Form I pupils.
Detailed study should be based upon the animal's habits, movements, and
instincts, and each detail should be studied as an answer to questions
such as: How is the animal able to perform these movements? How is the
animal fitted for this habit of life, etc.?

Watch the rabbit moving. How does a rabbit move?

Which legs are the more useful for hopping? How are the hind legs fitted
for making long hops?

Why is the rabbit able to defend itself by kicking with its hind feet?
Find out how the rabbit is fitted for burrowing.

Listen carefully and find out whether the rabbit makes much noise while
moving. Of what advantage is it to the rabbit to move silently?

Find out, by examining the feet of the rabbit, what causes it to make
very little noise.

How are rabbits prepared for living during cold weather?

Test the ability of the rabbit to hear faint noises. Why is it necessary
for the rabbit to be able to hear faint sounds?

How is it fitted for hearing faint sounds?

Examine the teeth and find out how they are fitted for gnawing.

_To the teacher._--The long, strong, hind legs of the rabbit are bent in
the form of levers and enable the animal to take long, quick hops.

When the rabbit attacks, it frequently defends itself by vigorous kicks
with its hind feet, which are armed with long, strong claws. Ernest
Thompson-Seton's story of Molly Cottontail and "Raggylug", in _Wild
Animals I Have Known_, contains an int