Country diary 1919: black rabbits in the wild

Very determined efforts were made last year to reduce the over-abundant rabbits, but, as far as one can see, without marked success. At the present time the corpses of infantile bunnies which have blundered through inexperience are very common in the woods. These youngsters will come out in the daytime and often get into stoat traps, spending many painful hours until mercifully destroyed by the keeper on his rounds. I may be too tender-hearted, but I confess that it spoils the enjoyment of a walk when I find it necessary to shorten the life of one of these beautiful little innocents.

In one “ride,” where densely crowded buttercups almost screened the green leaves and grass, two black rabbits were browsing, very conspicuous in their yellow surroundings. These dark-coloured animals are not the descendants of released domesticated stock, but are a distinct phase of wild rabbit which appears in small but fairly constant numbers every year. If conspicuous marking or colour was such a disadvantage in the struggle for life, these black rabbits should long since have been wiped out, for surely foxes, stoats, and weasels can see them as easily as we can, yet the black form, though never abundant, persists. In the dusk, when all wise rabbits feed, they are less noticeable, though a black object often shows up in the dark even more than a light one. Perhaps their enemies do not think they look so tasty as the normal brown-grey rabbits. At any rate, the law of heredity produces a certain proportion of these off-colour rabbits every year.