ot easily driven
out of its home range. Paths or runways are used by cottontails
escaping from predators in dense vegetation along fence lines, in
thickets, or brush piles, or in snow that is eight or more inches deep.

Most of the year cottontails rest in forms of grass or brush near
woodland edges but in extremely cold or hot weather they seek the
greater protection of the woods. Movements are limited to the woodlands
in severe weather, especially when deep snow makes travel difficult.

Hilltop rock outcrops on the area provide excellent protection for the
cottontail especially from low temperatures and freezing rain or
blowing snow. Eighty per cent of the cottontails resting under the rock
outcrops were found in severe winter weather. Fifteen per cent were
found in severe summer weather, and five per cent were found at times
when the weather was not severe. Undercut creek banks and exposed tree
root-systems in eroded gullies were favorite hiding places. Brush that
had accumulated in the ravines and stream beds also was used for cover
by the cottontail.

In heavy rain a cottontail may move along, neither hopping nor running,
with its body close to the ground, head low, ears laid back. Losing its
customary alertness it may pass a person without seeing him. At times,
I have been able to approach almost close enough to seize one of the
miserable creatures. In deep snow cottontails may progress with long
bounds carrying them high enough vertically, to clear the surrounding
snow.

Courting activities were seen only in evening. Four male cottontails
and three females were observed to move an estimated 1200 feet in an
evening (1-1/4 hours) while chasing each other around in an area of
less than an acre. It is presumed that this activity was in addition to
normal movements made while foraging.

Seven females known to be pregnant or lactating were not observed to
move more than 100 feet away from their centers of activity. Their
nests were never found. At the same time the males were moving over
much larger areas.

The cottontail is most active in the evening or early morning. Of those
for which time of capture in live-traps was known 70 per cent were
captured in the evening between dusk and 11:00 P.M., 10 per cent were
captured between 11:00 P.M. and dawn, and 20 per cent were captured
after dawn. Nocturnal rodents and carnivores often stole bait in the
night; the percentage of capture of cottontails after dawn might h