PET RABBITS, CAVIES, AND MICE. 59 



of Lops. The reason is not far to seek. In estimating 

 the points of excellence, so much importance has been 

 attached to the length and width of the rabbit's ears 

 that artificial means have had to be resorted to to enable 

 a fancier of the variety to compete successfully. In this 

 process of growing long and wide ears, in addition to 

 selection in mating, artificial heat and hand manipula- 

 tion are great adjuncts. We have on many occasions 

 gone into the rabbitry of a well-known and successful 

 breeder of lop-eared rabbits, but never remember to 

 have done so without seeing him take down the ther- 

 mometer and note the temperature, either with satis- 

 faction or the reverse. " I like it 60 degrees," was the 

 usual remark. ** Then things go on all right." And out 

 he would fetch a rabbit on to a little table and commence 

 to manipulate its ears. This manipulation consisted in 

 gently gripping the ear roots with the thumb and finger 

 and gliding them gently along towards the middle of the 

 ears, exercising a slight and gradual pulling pressure all 

 the time. This gradual working had a wonderful effect 

 on the length of the rabbit's ears, and did not injure 

 them. In the lop-eared variety, length and width of 

 ears are the chief points of excellence. It is no un- 

 common thing to meet with specimens 27 ins. in length 

 by 6f ins. and 7 ins. in width. Ears of a nice substance 

 and free from knots are preferred. Another point which 

 is receiving more attention is straightness of fore legs, 

 shape of head Romany and fullness of eye. This 

 has reference to what is called an " all-property " rabbit, 

 i.e., one well developed in all other points, in addition to 

 ears. There are blacks, greys, fawns, sooty fawns (or 

 fawns with dark shadings), grey and white, black and 

 white, yellow and white, and tortoiseshells (or shaded 

 fawn and white). It is scarcely necessary to give the 

 standard, as the great point is length and width of ears. 

 There are classes at the best rabbit shows for various 

 lengths, i.e., 23 inch, 25 inch, and any length over that. 

 Sometimes the classification is even more widely 

 extended than that. 



