THE BABBIT. 



In-eeds in great numbers, and from whioh he frequently drives 

 away the hares. The hedgehog is a sort of vagabond rabbit, 

 that, tinker-like, roams about the country, and would have a 

 much better coat on his back if he was more settled in his 

 habits, and remained more at home. The sweetheart is a 

 tame rabbit, with its far so sleek, soft, and silky that it is also 

 used to Home extent in the important branch of hat-making. 



Another variety of the rabbit family, known as the " silver- 

 sp"gg6d," has lately been introduced into this country, and 

 may be reckoned — commercially speaking — among the most 

 valuable. Its colour is a black ground, thickly interspersed 

 with grey hairs. 



There is a very large species of the hare-colour, having much 

 bone, length, and depth of carcase, large and long ears, with 

 fcdl eyes, resembling those of the hare ; it might be taken for a 

 hybrid or mule. Its flesh is high-coloured, substantial, and 

 more savoury than that of the common rabbit ; and, cooked 

 like the hare, it makes a good dish. The large white, and 

 yellow and white species, have whiter and more delicate flesh, 

 and, cooked in the same way, will rival the turkey. 



Those above-mentioned, however, are but the plebeians of 

 rabbitdom. They may be fat and sturdy, but as the worthy 

 secretary of a rabbit club informed the author of " Farming 

 for Ladies," hrute weight formed no consideration with the 

 club. The first " point " looked to by the fancier is the 

 "fancy" animal's ears. Sometimes, instead of drooping down, 

 they slope backwards : a rabbit with this characteristic is 

 scarcely admitted into a fancy lot, and is not considered worth 

 more than the common variety. The next position is when 

 one ear lops outwards, and the other stands erect ; rabbits of 

 this kind possess but little value, however fine the shape and 

 beautiful the colour, although they sometimes breed as good 

 specimens as finer ones. 



The forward or horn-lop is one degree nearer perfection 

 than the haJf-lop; the ears, in this case, slope forward and 

 down over the forehead. Rabbits with this peculiarity are 

 often perfect in other respects, with the exception of the droop 

 of the ears, and often become the parents of perfect young 

 ones ; does of this kind often have the power of lifting an ear 

 erect. In the oar-lop, the ears spread out in an horizontal 

 position, like the wings of a bird in flight, or the arms of a 

 man swimming. A great many excellent does have this cha- 

 racteristic, and some of the best-bred bucks in the fancy are 



