166 CAUTIONS WEAKNESS MR. BROWN. 



might be lost ; and if it were intended that no time 

 might be lost in destroying the doe, such, indeed, 

 would be the most successful method. Great care 

 should be taken that the doe, during her gestation, 

 be not approached by the buck, or indeed by any 

 other rabbit ; as, from being harassed about, she 

 will almost certainly CAST her young. One doe in a 

 thousand may DEVOUR her young ; the sign that she 

 ought to be otherwise disposed of. Some does ad- 

 mit the buck with difficulty, although often appa- 

 rently in season ; such should be immediately fat- 

 tened off, since it can never be worth while to keep 

 an objectionable individual for breeding, of a stock 

 to be produced in such multitudes. Should the 

 doe be WEAK on her bringing forth, from cold caught 

 or other cause, she will drink beer-caudle, as well 

 as any other lady ; or warm fresh grains will com- 

 fort her; a malt mash; scalded fine pollard, or 

 barley-meal, in which may be mixed a small quantity 

 of cordial horse-ball. 



Mr. Brown, of Banbury, who has published some 

 observations on the subject, believes that, what ap- 

 pears to be a propensity, is nothing more than a 

 necessitous, though truly unnatural, act. 



That it is done to satiate the thirst induced by the 

 febrile state of parturition, which thirst they, in con- 

 sequence of their confinement, have not the natural 

 power to allay. Hence the horrid alternative of sa- 

 crificing their young, an extremity to which they are 

 never driven in a state of nature. 



Mr. B. observes, " I have had rabbits which 



