and an occasional tragedy is a valuable lesson. A box 3^x2' x i^' 

 will house one male and three females. The door should have a 

 half-inch wire. There should be a movable box inside for sleeping 

 quarters. The nesting box must be protected from wet and damp- 

 ness with hay or sawdust for bedding. They should be given two 

 meals a day (oats, bran, vegetables or greens). Nursing mothers 

 should have bread and milk. Plenty of water should be provided. 

 The period of gestation is about 62 days. There are from i to 4 

 young at a time and they mature in 8 to 10 weeks, but should not be 

 bred until 5 or 6 months old. Hence the sexes must be separated 

 when about 4 weeks old. Food cups should be placed low on the 

 sides of the cage so that the pigs cannot soil the food, and preferably 

 should be made in such a way that only a small amount of food will 

 come down at a time. Water cups should be made of galvanized 

 tin and should be of the kind which cannot be upset. These can be 

 procured at Wanamaker's for 35 cents. 



RABBITS have always been loved by children because of their 

 beauty, their friendliness and because they stand mauling. Rab- 

 bits are not affected by the cold and can be kept in cages in the 

 school yards. They breed very rapidly — that is, two or three 

 families a year — and the mother shows wonderful care of her young. 

 Just before the young are born, she vigorously arranges the nest, 

 using straws, hay, etc. Then she pulls great mouthfuls of fur from 

 her breast to line the nest, and she often attacks other rabbits and 

 grabs great mouthfuls of fur from them. After the young are born, 

 she cleans them and puts them into the nest. The little blind, naked 

 babies are a wonderful surprise to the children. In a week the 

 young can be handled and examined with care, and from then on 

 they are a source of constant joy and interest. (When handling the 

 little ones, rub the hand over the nest and then over the mother 

 so that she will not be disturbed by a strange odor. She may kill 

 her young if frightened). There are no animals that are more 

 abused than rabbits by pet fanciers. They not only lift rabbits by 

 the ears, but tell children that this is the way to handle them. Of 

 course the ears are surrounded by blood vessels and well developed 

 nerves; no part of the body is more sensitive, and it is very cruel to 

 lift a big, heavy rabbit by the ears. This is, however, a very hard 

 superstition to eliminate as stock dealers insist that it does not hurt 

 the animal. All animals need water and the succulent vegetables do 

 not take the place of water. If five or six babies are born, four are 

 all she can care for, and the weakest should be destroyed or should 

 18 



