TET ANIMALS. 357 



does, and the atter for the bucks, or else weaned rabbits. The doe's 

 hutch should be a foot and a half or two feet high, about two feeb 

 deep, and at least four feet long; about one- third of this length 

 should be partitioned off to form a sleeping apartment, and in order 

 that the animal may have free access to its dormitory, an aperture 

 should be made in the partition, of just sufficient dimension to allow 

 it to pass through with facility : a sliding panel or hanging door over 

 this hole will be found extremely useful, as by such a contrivance 

 the rabit may be confined in one division, while the other is under- 

 going a thorough cleansing. The edges of this aperture must be 

 cased with tin, as rabbits are particularly fond of employing their 

 teeth upon the woodwork of their prisons, nibbling every part they 

 can lay hold of. The front of the hutch may be said to be composed 

 of two doors, that is, a large door or framework of wood, having iron 

 wires placed perpendicularly, about three-quarters of an inch asunder, 

 is made to fit from one end of the front to the before- mentioned par- 

 tition, and another door of wood without wires, from the partition 

 to the other end. These doors must open in contrary directions, for 

 which purpose the hinges of each door should be fastened at the ends 

 of the hutch, and that one may be opened without the other be- 

 coming unfastened also, two buttons must be put on the partition, 

 as shown in the illustration. The wired door should not be so deep 

 as the wooden one, as a drawer for food will be required to slide 

 underneath it. The edges of the feeding trough require to be cased 

 with tin, for the reason before given ; and as some rabbits scratch 

 their food out of the trough, and soil in it, if the front edge of the 

 trough, be bevelled off, and a piece of thin board an inch in width, 

 and also cased with tin, fastened so as to lean over the top of it, ib 

 will be found a good safeguard against such habits. The floor of the 

 hutch should be of smoothly-planed wood, and made to slope to- 

 wards the back, along the whole length of which a narrow slit should 

 be made to let the wet run off; a large smooth slate, however, from 

 its being impervious- to moisture, makes a far sweeter and better 

 flooring than wood, besides which, it has an additional recommenda- 

 tion of being much more easily kept clean. 



The buck's hutch, as most usually made, is about two feet and a 

 half broad, one foot eight inches in height, and one foot eight in its 

 deepest measure ; in shape it differs considerably from the doe's, and 

 may be easily understood by reference to the annexed figure. It is 

 not divided off by a partition, neither is 

 there a drawer for food running the length 

 of the front, the receptacle being placed in 

 the centre of a cross piece, which goes 

 from side to side; the door, which com- 

 poses the whole front of the hutch, must 

 have very strong hinges, and the button to 

 secure it be perfectly firm in its fastening ; 

 the wires should also be stout, and they 

 may be set rather wider apart than in the 

 door of the doe's hutch. The back of this hutch is nearly semi* 



