R. C. Ptonrtt and thk latk P. G. Baii.ky 11 



graphically by the record of thrcn* Polish nibbilH iti Fig. 8. T\\v J (QH^l) 

 was over 10 tnonthM old lH»lon' any doclino of weight wt in, while neither 

 of the ffff attAiniMl their full weight nntil U and 12 nionthH r»'Hj)eo- 

 tivvly. Here again sexual maturity was late. Though the ihs* was run 

 with the buck sineral times earlier it was imt until she was 1 1 months 

 old that she priKiuccd a litter. It is worthy of note that these aninwils 

 are the pnxluct of certainly two genenitions of brother x sister mating. 

 Whether the inbreeding extended further bark we are unable t<i say. 



Wright 

 mlbi 



3- 



1 



— T 1 1 1 \ 1 \ 



7 8 9 10 11 12 13 



Fig. 8. Growth curves for 3 Polish rahbits. 



A further point of interest concerns the growth of the F., animals from 

 one of the Flemish-Polish crosses, viz. that from the Flemish $ 2().S. 

 Growth curves were made for all of these animals and it was found that 

 the period in which maximum growth was reached before the temiK)rary 

 decline set in varied from 8-13 month.s. The distribution of these 

 animals over the different periods is shewn in Fig. 9. In no cjuse wjus 

 maturity reached as early as in the F^ parents, while in several ca.ses it 

 was delayed until the age of 13 months (cf. Fig. 10). As might have 

 been expected the smaller F., animals mature on the whole earlier than 

 the larger one.s. The average weight for those maturing at 8 months 

 is 4 lbs. 2^ oz. and this increa.ses fairly regularly, having regaixl to the 

 paucity of numbers, up to the average weight of 5 Ib.s. 1^ (►z. for those 

 maturing at 13 months. Neverthele.ss a consideration of average weights 

 does not in this c;ise tell the whole story. Fairly large F.^ animals may 



