From the New Year until well on in March rabbits are hard pressed to
find food--not necessarily because the weather may be bad, but because
so many fields present a surface of bare earth, where hitherto rabbits
have been able to find ungrudged pickings. When barred from other food,
they will be driven to bark underwood, and so cause a price to be set
on their heads; and cause people to think and say that a couple of
rabbits are at least a score. When they are shut in a wood by wire
netting, they will be almost certain to attack the undergrowth, whereas
if free to come and go they would have done no damage to speak about,
outside or in.
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