358 PET ANIMALS. 



circular in its form, and an opening must be made at the lower part 

 for the purpose before described. The hutches, if many rabbits are 

 kept, may be piled one upon the other, but none of them ranged 

 upon the ground ; the lowest being placed on a stand about two feet 

 in height, to keep out the rats and other marauders ; and still further 

 defences against such unwelcome visitants may be employed in the 

 shape of circular shields of tin, about the size of a common plate, 

 surrounding and affixed to the legs of the stand, as we have shown 

 in our illustration, and which no rat can get over, or few things walk 

 upon excepting a fly, with its back downward. The backs of the 

 hutches should not be put quite close to the wall, but a space be left 

 between, that the dirt may pass, and be easily cleared away. If the 

 rabbits are allowed the range of an outhouse or cote, it will be requi- 

 site to stop up all holes in the brickwork and flooring with little bits 

 of brick, or tile, and then coat the flooring over with cement, to 

 hinder the rats from getting in, and the rabbits from burrowing their 

 way out. It is especially necessary that the rabbitry be thoroughly 

 dry and well ventilated, not only when the doors and windows are 

 open, but also when they are shut ; the best proof as to the suffi- 

 ciency of ventilation is the atmosphere of the house when you first 

 enter it in the morning, and if any strong or unpleasant smell per- 

 vades it, you may be certain that a proper supply of fresh air does 

 not circulate through the place, and an additional opening must 

 therefore be made, which may be suffered to remain open by day and 

 night; all such openings, windows, &c., to be protected by fine wire 

 lattices, and so disposed that no draught blows directly through the 

 place, for if the animals are exposed to chilling currents of air, the 

 young fancier must not expect that they will thrive. The feeding 

 trough should be heavy, and made of such clay as bricks are, for by 

 being weighty it is not so likely to be overturned by the little captives 

 when frolicking about. An artificial burrow for the doe to form her 

 nest in should not be omitted in a rabbitry, but the arrangement of 

 such a contrivance must be left to the ingenuity of the youthful 

 proprietor, and the means at his disposal. If a little space of paled- 

 in ground can be allowed in front of the rabbitry for its inmates to 

 sport about in during fine weather, it will be of great advantage to 

 them. 



DISEASES. 



Care in selecting the food, regularity in the hours of feeding, and 

 attention to the general cleanliness of their habitations, will in a 

 great degree preserve rabbits from disease. From the great value 

 of the fancy rabbits, they deserve, when suffering from any malady, 

 much attention and all the remedies which experience has proved to 

 be the most efficacious; indeed, no boy would willingly allow a dumb 

 creature to perish, if it lay in his power to preserve it, however 

 common it might be. 



HOARSENESS is a disorder which arises from the rabbits having fed 

 too plentifully upon green food, and its symptom is that the animal's 

 dung is moist and discharged too often. A liberal allowance of 



