THE LOP 23 



still greater vicissitudes of the show pens. I am not an 

 advocate for cold housing of any kind of fancy Rabbit, 

 nor have I kept my own in any but stone, brick, or well- 

 built wooden houses which could be shut up at night or 

 in unfavourable weather. On the other hand, I think 

 as much harm may be done by " coddling," especially with 

 such as are even occasionally exhibited, when we know 

 they are often left about in parcel offices, stations and 

 other places, going and returning to their homes, 

 and many of the shows leave much to be desired 

 in the care taken of valuable stock entrusted to them. 



Although there is such disparity in size between the 

 two varieties, which, except both being rabbits, have 

 little else in common, I think Dutch does are the 

 favourites as foster mothers, when Lop fanciers require 

 some of a litter to be taken in that way. There is some- 

 thing eminently maternal, and businesslike, about the 

 little Dutch, which seems to make the work congenial to 

 them. 



Many breeders, when the youngsters are between two 

 and three months old, take them in hand with a view to 

 moulding their ears into a graceful carriage, and think 

 that by so doing it helps the ears both in lengthening 

 and widening ; particularly if the operation, which should 

 be for a very short time at first, is performed in a warm 

 room on each occasion. 



In the old books, we used to read of the half lop, 

 where one ear only fell at the side of the head, and the 

 oar lop, where both ears stood out almost at right angles 

 on each side ; but at the present day only those with the 



