1 86 Practical Game Preserving. 



Sometimes, on nights when the rabbits are " well out," 

 enough are caught for the week's supply. At others, two 

 or three such drives are made every night in order to obtain 

 the required number. 



The rabbits before being sent to market are paunched, 

 and such paunching will produce an amount of offal of 

 some value, which may be disposed of to some neighbouring 

 farmer and utilised as manure. On natural warrens this 

 offal can be employed for the same purpose, to renovate 

 any portion which may require so treating. 



The rabbits are usually disposed of in their skins, but 

 sometimes without. When this is the case, the skins are 

 usually sold separately by weight. The disposal of the 

 season's "kill" is of course a very important matter, con- 

 sequently one must bear it in mind when commencing a 

 warren. Proximity to a railway station is desirable but not 

 necessary, but a station from which to send the rabbits 

 should if possible be on the main line, for the avoidance of 

 delay in transit. The disposal may be to the retailer by a 

 contract ; but it may be remarked that there are middlemen 

 enough when rabbits are being sold from warrens. That 

 the demand for wild rabbits will always be large we have 

 no doubt; that it will increase is equally certain, more 

 especially as they are a cheap, nutritious, and lasting food, 

 which should become a common comestible amongst the 

 humbler classes, instead of being regarded as a luxury as 

 they generally are. 



