THE DOMESTICATED RABBIT 37 
There are about three varieties of these fellows 
due to the laws of breeding and they are 
divided entirely according to color. 
But the most important development in the 
history of the domesticated rabbit came with 
the introduction in 1912 of the New Zealand 
Red to the fanciers of this country. This rab- 
bit was brought to the Pacific Coast by sailors 
who had gotten them in New Zealand. They 
were the natural wild rabbit of that country 
and had been so desirable from a commercial 
standpoint that breeders in that country had 
taken them up for commercial purposes. 
Our breeders soon saw the possibilities of the 
breed and took them up with the idea of in- 
creasing the size a trifle and in improving the 
color. That this has been accomplished is evi- 
denced by the fact that the New Zealand Red 
is probably the most popular rabbit in exis- 
tence today. 
In size it is about half way between the trim 
little Belgian hare and the large and imposing 
Flemish Giant. It has a standard weight of 
