ii8 PRACTICAL RABBIT KEEPING 



a drop of paraffin oil has been well rubbed. 

 It is safer for the novice to content himself 

 with a rub down with a 'Selvyt' or a silk hand- 

 kerchief, which will do all that is required if 

 the rabbit is as fit as it should be. 



"Rabbits suffer considerably from being ex- 

 hibited, as is proved by the fact that in the 

 writer's experience adults will lose several 

 ounces in weight and growing youngsters fail 

 to add to their weight during the time (and 

 for a few days after) they are away. The ob- 

 vious moral is not to show valuable animals 

 too frequently. 



"Many rabbit breeders, with an entire dis- 

 regard for the comfort of their stock, send 

 them in boxes which are far too small. A use- 

 ful size of box for a 5 lb. rabbit is 16 in. to 

 18 in. long, 10 in. wide, and 11 in. high. Bel- 

 gian hares and Flemish Giants require much 

 larger boxes, and Polish may be sent in rather 

 smaller ones ; but it is wiser to use an unneces- 

 sarily large box for a valuable rabbit than to 

 risk cramping it for the sake of a few pence 

 extra on the railway charge. Ventilation must 

 be provided in the form of holes about 4 in. 

 in diameter cut in each end of the box and 



