PET RABBITS, CAV1ES, AND MICE. 67 



still more, after its assailants and their opportunism are 

 forgotten. It is well to moderate your zeal when breed- 

 ing. Do not expect too many litters in a year. Be 

 satisfied with two or three. There can be no doubt that 

 many fanciers overstep the bounds of prudence in this 

 respect. Another point worth remembering is to be 

 careful and retain, each season, some of your best young 

 stock. Cavies will not go on breeding for ever. They 

 get exhausted, and the progeny puny and disappointing. 

 Look well after the sows at breeding time, and mind 

 they are substantially fed and bedded. If you have a 

 sow in young, mind how you handle her, if you handle 

 her at all. On no account startle her, or subject her to 

 fright. And if you are an exhibitor, do not send a sow 

 to a show when she is in young. I have seen this done, 

 and have felt very indignant. Besides, a sow is not 

 in a fit condition to stand the ups and downs of a railway 

 journey at that time, especially when the " tender 

 mercies " of the average railway porter are considered. 

 Our advice is to select a certain variety one you most 

 favour, and stick well to that variety. Do not attempt 

 to breed too many varieties. It is better to do a little 

 and do it well, than to attempt a lot and spoil it all. 

 Stick firmly to the idea of purity. Whatever variety 

 you take up, pursue the breeding of it on well-recognized 

 lines. Do not make "experiments" until you have 

 had experience. We have frequently met with fanciers 

 who have told us what matings they have tried in order 

 to obtain this point and that. Why need they have 

 done it, when there was at hand the article already 

 prepared, aye, and prepared by men with experience. 

 Look well to the nourishment of the sow when suckling 

 her young, and to the young when coming off the 

 mother. It is then that very frequently young cavies 

 go wrong. Do not remove the young from the sow all 

 at once, but gradually, or you may have milk troubles. 

 We will now pass on to the subject of 



EXHIBITING. 



There is no period of the fanciers' experience so 

 exciting as that at which he commences to exhibit. We 

 well remember our first win, many many years ago, in 

 the rabbit fancy. We have grown ever so much older 



