PICAS AND HARES. 



201 



colour are the so-called silver-greys and chinchillas, which are born black, and 

 assume their characteristic colours later on. Silver-greys generally have black 

 heads and legs, and the fine grey fur of the body is intermingled with a number of 

 long black and white hairs. These rabbits have long been kept in warrens ; and 

 when crossed with the wild breed, one- 

 half of the progeny, or thereabouts, takes 

 after the one parent, and the second half 

 after the other. On the other hand, 

 chinchillas, or tame silver-greys, have 

 short, paler, mouse-coloured, or slaty fur, 

 among which are long, black, slate- 

 coloured, and white hairs. Darwin 

 remarks that silver-greys rnay be re- 

 garded as black rabbits, which become 

 grey at an early period of life. By 

 crossing silver-greys with chinchillas a 

 certain number of the resulting offspring 

 belong to what is known as the Hima- 

 layan breed. When first born these rabbits are generally true albinos, having pure 

 white fur and pink eyes ; but in the course of a few months they gradually become 

 blackish brown on the ears, nose, feet, and the upper surface of the tail. In spite 

 of their sudden production, Himalayan rabbits generally breed true ; and Darwin 

 suggests that their remarkable change in coloration may be due to both chinchillas 

 and silver-greys having descended from a cross between black and albino parents. 

 Lastly, we have the Nicard or Dutch rabbit, distinguished by its very small size ; 

 some examples not weighing more than a pound and a quarter. 



"HALF-LOP" RABBIT. 



