IHB BABBIT. 



as a refuge for its young, that appendage groyrs gradually less 

 capacious, while from almost incessantly mounting on its tall 

 springy hind legs, the better to look out for enemies and be 

 ready for instant flight, it descends to all fours like the most 

 ordinary quadruped. 



HOW TO STOCK THE HUTCHES. 



These are two modes of setting up as a rabbit-keeper ; one 

 by procuring a full-grown buck and three or four does, and the 

 other by purchasing ten or a dozen young rabbits, say from 

 eight to ten weeks old, and through them founding a stock. 

 There is a third mode, purchasing a doe ready or nearly ready 

 for kindling. Assuming, however, that I am addressing ama- 

 teurs, I win simply say in reference to this system, don't 

 adopt it. No animal is more whimsical than the rabbit. It 

 may breed well when used to its residence and tie sight of its 

 residence, but should a change occur nothing is more likely 

 than that she will, if near littering at the time, cast her youag 

 prematurely, or waiting till they are born, either eat them up 

 or refuse to afford them any attention. Either of these mis" 

 fortunes may happen where the animal has a fair chance of 

 doing well, where it is left undisturbed and only visited to be 

 fed and have its house cleaned up ; but how many boy-pur- 

 chasers of such a doe would be content with so tame a proceed- 

 ing F The impatienee which prompted the purchase will 

 surely manifest itself none the less now that the longed-for 

 treasure is obtained. He will ever be taking "just a peep," 

 and in his solicitude for the doe's comfort, maie and unmake 

 her bed a dozen times a day ; a mistaken kindness, enough to 

 drive an experienced doe clean out of her senses in a very 

 short time. 



Besides this, let your intentions be ever so good, you may, 

 by such a purchase, be led to disappointment and regret through 

 the dishonesty of a dealer. You may be offered a doe hand- 

 some looking, and certainly to all appearance well worth the 

 moderate price asked ; at the same time, in the vendor's eyes, 

 she may be " dear at a gift," as the saying is, through some 

 affliction she possesses, but which does not at present manifest 

 itself, and which may render it equally unfit to live or die. 



The plan of keeping a buck and several does has its objec- 

 tionable features. In the first place they are costly, and in the 



second, they are animals that know " what life is," and may 



aw 



