PET RABBITS, CAVIES, AND MICE. 41 



critics are keen and the punishment sharp. Shortness 

 of fur, freedom of eyes from spots, closeness of coat, 

 and health are great points in a Dutch. To take the 

 separate colours, we begin with 



BLACKS AND BLUES. 



These must be bred together, as to breed blacks to 

 blacks is to invite rustiness, and blues to blues produces 

 faded colour. Black is a deepener of blue in the results 

 of mating, and blue of black. See that your blacks are 

 of pure colour, free from white hairs in the ears or on 

 the body, and devoid of a rusty or brown tinge. Look 

 well to your blues also for purity. The iris of the eye 

 should be of the same colour as the darker fur, and there 

 should be no speck or mark on the eye except that which 

 is natural. Look well after neat ears and cobby shape 

 of body. 



GREYS. 



In competition in a class for Greys there are two 

 shades steel grey and light grey. The former are now 

 firmly established, so that they can be safely bred 

 together, but the black must be introduced now and 

 again to retain the colour. What is wanted in a steel 

 Grey is a nice, deep, even colour, with bright steel tick- 

 ing, and a very short sharp coat. Many steels are too 

 dark nearly black on face and haunches. Light Greys 

 are not nearly so numerous as Steels, and are of several 

 different shades of colour. What is wanted is as dis- 

 tinct a Grey as possible without being too dark, because 

 if you get these kind dark under, they are sure to be 

 dark on top, but neither a light Grey nor a Steel, and 

 some of them will be very dark on top with a nearly 

 white belly. There are the Black Greys, which are 

 easily mistaken for Blacks until closely examined. 

 These frequently carry a brown tinge on the fur; and 

 there are the Blue Greys. But they are off-colours, as 

 the fancy terms them. 



THE TORTOISESHELLS 



Come next, and are one of the handsomest sections of 

 the Dutch family. One prominent breeder remarked to 



