page [15] (seq. 17)

15
A Trip to Concord, Mass.
1901
June 1
(2)

grass about, yet so closely did the closed hole sim-
ulate the surroundings that standing within 2 feet
of the spot I looked hard before I could find it.
On removing the wad, we discovered five young
ones, hair and eyes open. They completely filled the
hole, and the then grass wad came in contact
with their backs. The hole was lined with
fur. On touching the little fellows, they would
spring violently up as I have seen young
rabbits do in confinement. It was as pretty
a sight as I ever saw. We replaced the
wad carefully after we had examined the
nest long enough. At first the little ones
bobbed up so violently as to drive up the
wad that covered them, but they soon quieted
down and so we left them. Some two
weeks ago one of the men while driving a
cow out of the orchard discovered the hole
which was uncovered. This was the only time
the hole was seen uncovered. The young ones
at that time were very small with their
eyes closed. Once in the day time the old
Cottontail was seen to approach the hole
and lying beside it to nurse her young. With
that exception no old Rabbit has been
seen there. She comes of course at night.
(Gilbert told me on June 4, three days later, that
the day before, June 3, he visited the spot. One
of the young ones lay dead by the nest. The
other four were gone. It is hoped that the
old one took them off safely. What killed the other?)