CHAPTER XI 



THE HIMALAYAN RABBIT 



SOME writers on this variety express a doubt whether it 

 is really entitled to the name it bears, but I think it is 

 not material, as there seems a general agreement that, even 

 up to the present time, these animals are found in parts of 

 Russia, China and Northern India, and have borne the 

 name of Himayalan for a great number of years, though 

 they have sometimes been called Chinese, Egyptian 

 Smuts, and even Antwerp Rabbits ; but I have never 

 heard any reason for the last named as a place of 

 origin. 



Suffice it to say, they are now a distinct variety here, 

 and looked upon as decidedly hardy in constitution, and 

 breed very true to type, perhaps as much as any, and 

 more than most, others. They are not large animals, 

 more being under six pounds in weight, when matured, 

 than over that figure. Nearly always, at least with us, 

 they are kept for show, more than for table purposes. 

 The coat is white all over, except at the extremities, the 

 nose, ears, feet and tail being as dark as they can be 

 obtained, the nearer black is approached in this respect 



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