The image of the horned rabbit (Gehörnter Haase) comes from Pictura Paedagogica. It is from Unterweisung in den vornehmsten Kunsten und Wissenschaften zum Nutzen der niedern Schulen / Adelung, Johann Christoph. - Leipzig, 1774.
The Unterweisung book tells us, via Google translate:
What we notice from the hare?It's a scary and volatile creature, is sleeping with his eyes open, and is pursued by both men as animals. In some areas, there will also be horned rabbit.... The rabbit is a rabbit dwelling, cleanly, to dig holes and tunnels under the earth, and has a useful coat. |
Jackalope, horned rabbit, gehornter haAse ...
...- whatever you want to call it, there is some evidence that these poor creatures actually suffer from a papilloma virus for information on which I shall direct you to wikipedia. Or, for bad postcards of American jackalopes, have a look here.
But don't go away before you look at our newspaper editor's obsession with them in Norfolk County, Ontario, which led the Toronto Star to call it "alcoholic propaganda" -
The stories in 1922-23 link the rabbit sightings to the wreck of the City of Dresden - a whisky ship that ran aground at Long Point during prohibition in 1922 which was wonderfully documented by Harry Barrett.
But don't go away before you look at our newspaper editor's obsession with them in Norfolk County, Ontario, which led the Toronto Star to call it "alcoholic propaganda" -
The stories in 1922-23 link the rabbit sightings to the wreck of the City of Dresden - a whisky ship that ran aground at Long Point during prohibition in 1922 which was wonderfully documented by Harry Barrett.
January 20, 1921 - Waterford Star Another Case of Horned Rabbit Woodstock, Jan. 15 -- O.J. Reid, of Princeton, while out shooting rabbits, bagged one of the strangest little animals ever seen in this part of the province. The animal has the body and legs of a rabbit, with the same covering of fur. But the head is shaped exactly like that of a reindeer. On the head are two horns or antlers, each eight inches in length. The animal, which is slightly larger than a rabbit, is now on exhibition at Mr. Reid's Home. Nothing just like it has ever been seen before in these parts, although it is said that a rabbit bearing some similarity to this one was seen near Aylmer last year. [note that this would be Princeton, Ontario and Aylmer, Ontario] |
Waterford Star - February 10, 1921
Our postmaster has a new hound. He is working fine and if all goes well he hopes, with the assistance of John Chambers and Harry Sanderson, to have horned rabbits on exhibition for Dollar Day. |
Waterford Star - October 20, 1921
The rabbit hunters were out again on Monday. Timmy Savage got two of the big horned fellows and the rest of the boys got six cotton tails. One of the bunnies bit Bill Gaetz* on the heel but we are pleased to report that he is able to hobble around as usual. * Not to be confused with a Gaetz of a different spelling. |
January 18, 1923 - Waterford Star A rabbit of the larger species which has been spreading southward over the county for the past three years and has already gotten down to the lake front, was on exhibition at Chas. Terhune's store on Saturday. Though 20-lb animals have been reported, this individual was a trifle less than half that weight, but it had two well developed conical horns about an inch long and three-quarters of an inch in diameter at the base, located well apart and about an inch in front of the ears. It is stated by some that reports have been heard of similar horned rabbits being taken in the district. For several weeks past rabbit hunters have been very successful and as many as 40 rabbits have been taken by a small party in one day. |
January 25, 1923 - Simcoe Reformer - reprinted from the Toronto Star
Those Norfolk Rabbits There is a new kind of rabbit in Norfolk County, it is said, which reaches a weight of twenty pounds and is developing horns. The rabbit is an animal which certainly needs something in the way of defence, but we fear a horn or two wouldn't help it much. What the rabbit needs is a coat of quills like the porcupine, a bite like a rattlesnake, or claws like a cat, so it could climb trees. It is perfectly silly of the rabbit to endeavour to grow horns, for the simple reason that it wouldn't stay and fight even if it had horns. Besides it hasn't enough bulk to put behind horns to make them of much use in a fight. May we request our exchanges not to trouble over each other telling us of a kind of homebrew one horn of which would embolden a rabbit to gallop all over Algonquin Park looking for a pack of wolves to fight with. Knowing rabbits as we do, we can but regard stories of this kind as alcholic propaganda - Toronto Star. |
March 1, 1923 - Simcoe Reformer
The latest "jack rabbit" episode comes from the vicinity of Clear Creek, and is vouched for by F. Franklin, the little known host of that lakeside village. The rabbit in question weighed 28 pounds, and was not of the horned species, as the Terhune specimen, but belonged to the white elephant tribe, and had developed tusks in the shape of corkscrews. The boys who captured it followed it back track which let to the swamp near the wreck of the City of Dresden. A cache was discovered but lo and behold, all the corks were neatly drawn and the contents missing. That alone accounts for this monstrosity. The rabbit had the D.T.s when first seen and was trying to climb a dogwood tree. But as soon as one of the gang came up and the gang saw it was not the inspector it became as docile as a kitten. |
January 8, 1925 - Waterford Star St. Catharines, Dec. 31 -- A two-horned rabbit, shot by Gordon Smith near Effingham, in this county, is one of the attractions at the annual St. Catharines Poultry and Pet Stock Show, which opened this afternoon at the Armories. The unique rabbit is the first ever seen in Niagara district, it is believed. The horns are very manifest on the rabbit's head. |
Simcoe Reformer, August 23, 1923
Lost - One Rabbit The proprietor of this publication was unduly startled at the noon hour on Monday, when some unknown friend, recalling his fondness for rabbits (especially horned rabbits) dropped a burrowing rodent of the hare family over the counter and disappeared. Apparently undomesticated, the animal created a great rumpus with its long-horned ears and only after the wildest kind of a chase was the editor able to capture his prey. Remembering distinctly the past experience of horned rabbit enthusiasts he deemed it advisable to give brer rabbit the key to the town and when last seen, the quarry was travelling up Norfolk street with fear-inspired limbs covering the ground at amazing speed. |