PET RABBITS, CAVIES, AND MICE. 29 



other. We always call to mind our own personal ex- 

 perience when touching upon this subject. ?Fhe thing 

 necessary is to use great care in selection, tcf'buy well, 

 feed properly, house comfortably, and sell at the right 

 moment. These are general directions, but they cover 

 the whole range of possibility in this matter. If you 

 want to succeed you must buy healthy stock and keep 

 it healthy. If you want to succeed, you must buy of 

 the reputable breeder. Of course, you will not be an 

 expert at starting, and that is why you need to buy of a 

 reputable breeder. There are always men in every 

 branch of life who are on the look out for " pigeons" 

 to pluck. These are the people who are the fester spots 

 of the rabbit as of any other fancy. But they are not 

 legion, and the channels of purification, protection, and 

 publicity are so manifestly increasing in numbers and 

 potency, that there is a daily improving chance for the 

 true hobbyist to take up the rabbit fancy and make it 

 pay its way. After all, an asset in rabbit keeping is 

 the pleasure it affords, and if every 2os. expended does 

 not return 255., but only 205., or even 195., that is no 

 argument that rabbit keeping does not pay. 



