PET RABBITS, CAVIES, AND MICE. 55 



Points. 



Eyes Large, bright, and deep blue in colour ... 15 



Colour An even dark blue all over ... ... ... 25 



Coat Soft and bright, but not too short ... ... 15 



Feet Clean and straight, and free from bars ... 5 



100 



POLISH. 



This rabbit is small none are smaller. Its fur is 

 pure white, and its eyes should be of that beautiful shade 

 of ruby which looks glorious when taken in contradis- 

 tinction to the pure white fur which covers the whole 

 of the body. In fact, a Polish rabbit, to be a good one, 

 should not have a single discoloured hair. Its head 

 should on no account be long and thin, and the ears 

 well set on, short and tapering nicely to a point. On 

 no consideration should they be wide at the tips, but be 

 carried with a nice folding not open, sow's ear fashion, 

 with the insides facing you as you take a frontal view of 

 the animal. What you must have is a chubby little 

 rabbit with a tight, short, springy coat the shorter 

 the better having a splendid gloss, and being as pure 

 in the white as possible. The Polish has a bold eye, 

 and the richer that eye is in ruby colour (some call it 

 pink, we do not) the better. Under no circumstance 

 must the rabbit be large, coarse, long in coat, or have 

 its ears carried widely. This spoils it. Polish are 

 fairly prolific, and although so small, are daily finding 

 fresh admirers. They are very quick in their actions, 

 and are sometimes a bit spiteful, as indeed are others; 

 this is largely the result of teasing or meddlesomeness. 

 A show specimen requires a good deal of care and 

 attention, and not a little grooming. Watchfulness 

 must be observed in the matter of bedding to prevent 

 the rabbit's fur from getting stained, and it should on 

 no account be allowed to have the full rays of the sun 

 upon it. A good thick sawdust bedding is needed all 

 the year, to absorb all moisture, and this should be 

 cleaned out frequently when saturated. Hay is needed 

 in winter, on top of the sawdust. In the standard of 



