Chap. IV. THEIR VAEIATION. Ill 



the male shows no wish to destroy its young.^ Two live 

 ra})bits were brought to me from Moscow, of about the size of 

 the wild species, but with long soft fur, different from that 

 of the Angora. These Moscow rabbits had pink eyes and 

 were snow-white, excepting the ears, two spots near the nose, 

 the upper and under surface of the tail, and the hinder tarsi, 

 which were blackish-brown. In short, they were coloured 

 nearly like the so-called Himalayan rabbits, presently to be 

 described, and differed from them only in the character of 

 their fur. There are two other breeds which come true to 

 colour, but differ in no other respect, namely silver-greys and 

 chinchillas. Lastly, the Nicard or Dutch rabbit may be 

 mentioned, which varies in colour, and is remarkable from 

 its small size, some specimens weighing only li lb. ; rabbits 

 of this breed make excellent nurses for other and more 

 delicate kinds.^" 



Certain characters are remarkably fluctuating, or are very 

 feebly transmitted by domestic rabbits : thus, one breeder 

 tells me that with the smaller kinds he has hardly ever 

 raised a whole litter of the same colour : with the large lop- 

 eared breeds " it is impossible," says a great judge,^i " to breed 

 true to colour, but by judicious crossing a great deasl may be 

 done towards it. The fancier should know how his does are 

 bred, that is, the colour of their parents." Nevertheless, 

 certain colours, as we shall presently see, are transmitted 

 truly. The dewlap is not strictly inherited. Lop-eared 

 rabbits, with their ears hanging dovni flat on each side of 

 the face, do not transmit this character at all truly. Mr. 

 Delamer remarks that, " with fancy rabbits, when both the 

 parents are perfectly formed, have riodel ears, and are 

 handsomely marked, their progeny do not invariably turn 

 out the same." When one parent, or even both, are oar- 

 laps, that is, have their ears sticking out at right angles, 

 or when one parent or both are half-lops, that is, have only 



' 'Journal of Horticulture,' 1861, p. ?.27. With respect to the ears-, sea 



p. 380. Delamer on ' Pigeons and Kabbits,' 



'» 'Journal of Horticulture,' May 1854, p. 141; also ' Poultrv Chroni- 



28th, 1861, p. 169. cle,' vol. ii. p. 499, and ditto'tor 1854, 



" 'Journalof Horticulture,' 1861, p. 586. 



