8o RABBITS, CATS, AND CAVIES 



our Fancy Varieties of Rabbit, and finding a home, at 

 some time or other, in nearly all Rabbitries ; it is at 

 once pleasing to the connoisseur and striking to the 

 novice. 



" No variety is more prolific, few are as hardy, and 

 none breed more true to colour and marking, and so true 

 to this point are they, that I have no hesitation in saying, 

 that of all the animals and birds I have cultivated, these 

 take the first position in that respect. In colour they 

 are pure white, except the ears, nose, feet and tail, which 

 are a dark brown, and, contrasted with the white, this 

 appears to be black in a good specimen. 



" In size they vary from three to seven pounds, when 

 full grown, but I have never seen a good one over six 

 pounds, and very few of that size, while I have seen 

 numbers of winners of the smaller size ; in fact, I have no 

 doubt but that quality of colour and marking, with fine- 

 ness of coat, usually go with the medium and smaller 

 specimens, and I certainly lean to the smaller sizes for 

 the show pen, while I look upon a full-grown buck, in 

 nice condition, as being of a good average size when at 

 five pounds' weight. 



" Extraordinary size is only obtainable by crossing with 

 other varieties, at the cost of colour, which when once lost 

 can scarcely ever be regained. 



" When they first leave the nest, they appear to be quite 

 white, but on close inspection the points above referred 

 to will be found to be of a leaden hue, and these change 

 gradually up to about four or five months, when the 

 animal may be considered to have assumed its adult dress. 



