CHAPTER XVI 



THE SILVER FAWN OR CREAM RABBIT 



THIS variety, which is also often called Silver Fawn, is 

 another which seems to be generally believed to have a 

 foreign origin and does not appear to have been seen in 

 this country until within the last thirty years, but they 

 were known on the Continent of Europe for some time 

 previously, and the skins have been objects of value for 

 various purposes. 



They resemble their cousins, the Silver Greys, from 

 whom indeed many persons allege they are an offshoot, in 

 being very hardy in constitution and prolific as breeders, 

 but three or four are recommended as enough to leave 

 upon the doe, placing the remainder under a foster mother. 



There is a tendency, in this variety, for the shades of 

 colour on the heads to be stronger than on the rest of 

 the animal, but this may be overcome in time, by careful 

 mating with those least marked in that way. 



Of course, evenness is a greatly-desired quality, and 

 the more uniform the colour of a specimen is, joined with 

 shortness of coat, richness of tint of undercoat, neat, 

 short, erect ears, and brown eyes, bright clear and 

 expressive, the more nearly will it approach the desired 

 standard. I think they may be said to have two divisions 

 of shade those richest in under colour being termed 



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