212 Parturltio7i — Number, 4^c. 



TURiTioN, or kindling, hay is to be given 

 to the doe, to assist in making her bed, 

 with the flue, which nature has instructed 

 her to tear from her body for that purpose. 

 She will be at this period seen sitting upon 

 her haunches, and tearing of the flue, and 

 the hay being presented to her, she will, 

 with her teeth, reduce and shorten it to her 

 purpose. — Biting down of the litter or bed, 

 is the first sign of pregnancy. The number 

 produced generally between fiv'e and ten ; 

 and it is most advantageous alw^ays to de- 

 stroy the weak or sickly ones, as soon as 

 their defects can be perceived, because 

 five healthy and well-grown rabbits are 

 worth more than double the number of an 

 opposite description, and the doe will be 

 far less exhausted. She will admit the 

 ^BUCK again with profit at the end of six 

 weeks, when the young may be separated 

 from her and weaned. Or the young 

 may be suckled two months, the doe ta- 

 king buck at the end of ^ve weeks, so that 

 the former litter will leave her about a 



