350 PET ANIMALS. 



Some boys are satisfied with keeping common rabbits, whilst 

 others, more chary in their taste and choice, stock their little rabbit- 

 ries with the more expensive fancy ones, which, in point of appear- 

 ance and beauty of colour, are unquestionably more worthy of 

 attention. It is not essentially requisite that the young fancier 

 should procure first-rate animals when he first lays in his stock, as 

 he may purchase very good rabbits deficient in one property or the 

 other, but which will produce, as frequently as the best, first-rate 

 young ones, for a comparatively moderate price, often at much less 

 than a fourth of what would be asked for them were they perfect 

 in all their properties. Fancy rabbits are rather more delicate, and 

 require a little more care in their management, than the common 

 ones ; but as they want neither more nor better food, the extra 

 trouble is worthily bestowed. 



THE WILD BABBIT. 



The wild rabbit, if not a native of this country, was known in 

 England at a very early period, for we find one of the favourite 

 diversions of the people in the early ages was to let these animals 

 loose amongst crowds of spectators for boys to hunt ; the interest of the 

 sport being the confusion caused by the endeavours of the poor 

 affrighted little creatures to escape amongst the bystanders, and the 

 hearty and boisterous glee with which the juvenile huntsmen followed 

 and strove to secure their timid prey. The methods then in use for 

 snaring and taking them alive were similar to those employed at the 

 present day. 



Though the wild rabbit in its general appearance greatly resem- 

 bles the hare, yet the two species never intermix or inhabit the same 

 tract of country, the rabbit dwelling in a burrow or hole, called a 

 warren, where large numbers congregate together, which it makes 

 for itself in banks or broken ground, generally in a district where 

 the soil is of a sandy or gravelly nature ; whilst the hare chooses its 

 retreat near some low bush, fern, or other slight shelter, on rich and 

 somewhat flat and dry ground. Rabbits are destroyed in immense 

 numbers by various methods, of which ferreting is one of the prin- 

 cipal ; the ferret is muzzled, and having a bell fastened round its 

 neck, is turned into one of the chief holes, which is then, with all 

 the surrounding ones, carefully covered over with little purse-shaped 

 nets, firmly secured by means of wooden pegs ; the rabbits, terrified 

 by the appearance of their natural enemy, immediately rush to one 

 of the openings, where they become entangled in the net, and are 

 caught. Hunting them with dogs is another method of destroying 

 rabbits ; terriers and spaniels are generally used for this sport, which 

 is mostly carried on in the autumn, when the crops have been 

 gathered in, and as the little animals frequently lie at that period of 

 the year in hedges, often at some distance from a burrow, they 

 stand but little chance of escape from the attacks of two or three 

 active dogs. Great numbers are also shot. 



The wild rabbit is amazingly prolific, breeding four or five times 

 a year, and producing from five to seven, eight, or nine even, each 



