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nibbles the hay or straw into little bits, it is an unfailing proof that 

 she is with young ; and a few clays before kindling, she tears the 

 soft Hue or fur from her body, to make a nest for her young ones. 

 If, as it often happens, some does have a large number of young 

 ones at a kindle, and others but few, it is as well to equalize the 

 number for each to rear, by taking from those which have the most 

 and giving them to those with the fewest. 



About six weeks after kindling, the old rabbits may be put to- 

 gether again, but if the doe has had a large number of sucklings, a 

 longer period should elapse. If the doe is. weak after kindling, a 

 malt mash, made of fine pollard scalded, or barley-meal with a small 

 quantity of cordial horse- ball mixed up with it, will be found bene- 

 ficial. Bread soaked in milk and then squeezed rather dry, will 

 also strengthen her materially, if she can be made to take it. 

 Those fanciers who keep their rabbits mewed up in hutches, should 

 not let their does have more than three litters in a year. It is ne- 

 cessary to protect the young rabbits from the old bucks, otherwise 

 they will be certainly devoured ; and as rats and other vermin are 

 particularly fond of such delicate morsels, making a meal off all 

 which come in their way, it is requisite to construct the hutches so 

 as to keep them out. If you have a doe which possesses so little 

 affection as to destroy her young ones, fatten her at once, for the 

 sooner she is killed and eaten the better. Pink- eyed ones they say 

 are the most guilty. 



To the feeding of his rabbits, the young fancier must pay great 

 attention, he should carefully see to them tw r ice a day, at the very 

 least ; that is, early in the morning and in the evening, and accord- 

 ing to the rule of many fanciers, give them another meal in the 

 middle of the day. Abstain from giving a superfluity of food, else 

 they will become cloyed, and waste also what they cannot eat. The 

 most suitable food consists of the delicate tops of carrots, celery, 

 parsnips, hare parsley, and furze; the leaves and roots of white 

 beet, stalks of dandelions, sow-thistles, and lettuces ; grass, clover, 

 tares, coleworts, and cabbages in moderation, apples, pears, pulse, 

 corn, and Jerusalem artichokes. Cabbage leaves should be given 

 with discretion, as they are apt to disagree with the animals ; in 

 fact, too much green food is injurious, being likely to produce a 

 disorder termed pot-belly. To guard against an evil of that kind, a 

 due proportion of dry food, such as fine fresh hay, pea- straw, or 

 corn, should be frequently given with the moist vegetables ; it is very 

 different with wild rabbits that have plenty of fresh air and exercise. 

 When it is impossible to procure greens, roots, or grains, the corn 

 may be slightly moistened with water or milk, and indeed, during a 

 dearth of fresh vegetables, a small quantity of tea-leaves, squeezed 

 tolerably dry, will be found to agree very well with the rabbits. 

 Some fanciers give a tablespoonful of water, beer, or milk occa- 

 sionally to their rabbits, when corn forms the chief part of their 

 aliment, but never when greens can be obtained. Babbits accus- 

 tomed to live chiefly upon bran or any other kind of dry food, will 

 eat with great avidity the parings of turnips, apples, or pears. Pota- 



