RABEIT. 



of food ; their being fo near to the fea-coaft perhaps ren- 

 ders it unneceffary. 



The only mode of taking the rabbits here has liitherto 

 been in nets, by what is termed running them by means of 

 doEjs. 



At Heynuim tlic Rev. Mr. Clarkfon has a trad of coarfe 

 ftony hmd above his houfc, of about twenty acres, which has 

 a groat number of grey rabbits in it, and is well fuited for a 

 rabbit-warren, as it is incapable of being converted to any 

 better purpofe on account of the fcverity of the well winds, 

 and the effefts of the fea-fpray thrown up by them, as well 

 as its rocky, vvhiny nature. 



The principal rabbit-warrens in this county are, however, 

 thofe in the fandy trails in the fouth and north ends of the 

 ifle of Walney, and in the neck of land from which it feems 

 to have been Separated. The rabbit-warren at the north end 

 of this little ifland occupies a confiderable fpace of ground 

 of this barren fandy quality, as well as that at the fouthcrn 

 point. The former is flocked wholly with rabbits of the 

 grey kind, this fort being in moil demand. There is much 

 expence attending thefe warrens in many cafes. 



The expence of Hocking in order to keep them up is 

 fometimes very confiderable. In this inftance the farmer has 

 upwards of two miles of dike fence compofcd of fod and Hone 

 to keep up and in repair, which cofts from five to fix fhiU 

 lings the rod of feven yards. The expence of a man con- 

 ftantly to Icok after the rabbits, and keep the dike fences 

 in proper order and repiiir. That of the purchafe of the 

 traps or types, which coil 3/. a-piece, and eighteen are re- 

 quired ; but tliey lall long, and coil httle in repairs. 



The providing net and dogs, which is annually about id. 

 The charge of taking the rabbits to Ulverllon, twice in 

 the week, during ten weeks, which is 5^. each time. 



The fale of rabbits is annually from one hundred and fifty 

 couple upwards, at the rate of 2s. 6d. each couple. They 

 are ufually fold to Lyons of Prellon, who takes the charge 

 of them after they have been delivered at the above-named 

 place. 



Not any fort of dry or green food is ever given to the 

 rabbits in this warren during the winter feafon ; but there is 

 not any fnow, and very little froft taking place ; in confe- 

 quenceof the fituation being fo furrounded by the fea. 



The warren at the fouth end of the fame little ifland is of 

 fimilar extent, and exactly under the fame fort of manage- 

 ment ; but it is faid to be earher, by a month at leaft, in the 

 breeding of the rabbits, and the quahtyof their fur ; which 

 is fuppofed to arife from its being more fully expofed to the 

 influence of the morning fun, in which the rabbit delights, 

 and by which it is greatly benefited. 



The rabbits are here likewife aflerted to fell for a higher 

 price, as 3^. the couple, than in the warren at the north end 

 of it. 



The rabbit-warren at Sand Scale is another farm of this 

 fort in this neighbourhood, under fimilar regulations, but 

 fomewhat imaller than thofe in the ifle of Walney ; and there 

 is a ftill fmaller one attached to a farm at Roanhead, the 

 property of Miles Sandyes, efq. of Graythwate, which is 

 condufted in much the fame manner, and with the fame re- 

 fults as in the above cafe. 



It may be noticed that this fort of fl:ock is moftly taken 

 by nets or traps, fet in the form of a fold between the places 

 where they rvui, and thofe where they feed, the rabbits being 

 hunted into them as they return from feeding. But the 

 wold warreners, Mr. Marfliall fays, have three ways of 

 catching their rabbits : with fold-nets, with fpring-nets, 

 and with " types ;" afpeciesof trap. The fold-nets are fet 

 about midnight, between the burrows and the feeding- 



grounds ; the rabbits bemg driven in with dogs, and kept 

 inclofed in the fold until morning. But the fpriiig-ntt, when 

 ufed, is, he believes, generally laid round a liay-ilack, or 

 ctlier place, wliere rabbits colIe£t in numbers. It is added 

 that the trap is a more modern invention. It confills of a 

 large pit or cift.ern, formed within the ground, and covered 

 in with a floor : or with one large falling door, having a 

 fmall trap-door towards its centre, into which the rabbits are 

 led by a narrow muce. And this trap, on its firft introduc- 

 tion, was fet mollly by a hay-ilack ; hay being, at that 

 time, the chief winter food of rabbits ; or on the outfide of 

 the warren wall, where rabbits were obferved to Icratch 

 much, in order to make their efcape. Since the cultivation 

 of turnips, as a winter food for this fpecies of Hock, has 

 become a praftice, the fituation of the trap has been changed. 

 Turnips being cultivated in an inclofure within the warren, 

 n trap is placed within the wall of this inclolure. For a 

 night or two, the muce is left open, and the trap kept co- 

 vered (with a board or triangular rail), in order to give the 

 rabbits the requifite haunt of the turnips : which having 

 got, the trap is barred, and the required number taken. He 

 adds, that in emptying the cift.ern, the rabbits are forted ; 

 thofe which are fat, and in feafon, are flaughtered ; thofe 

 which are lean, or out of condition, are turned upon the 

 turnips to improve. And that, at the clofc of the feafon, 

 the bucks and -the does are forted, in a fimilar way ; the 

 bucks are flauglitercd, the does turned loofe to breed. Mr. 

 Marfliall alfo remarks^ that great caution is requifite in the 

 ufe of thefe traps. If too many rabbits be admitted at once, 

 and the ciflern be kept clofe covered only for a few hours, 

 fuffocating and inordinate heat takes place, and the carcafes, 

 at leail, are fpoiled. Many thoufand carcafes have been 

 wailed through this means. The traps are therefore 

 watched ; and wlien the required luimber is caught, the 

 muce is fl:opped, or the trap covered in a proper manner. 



And it is obferved, that fome notion may be formed of 

 the produce of the wold warrens, from the great numbers 

 which are frequently flaughtered at once ; five or fix liun- 

 dred couple having not unfrequently been flaughtered in one 

 night : and, it is faid, that when the two Driffield warrens 

 lay together, there was once an inft^ance of fifteen hundred 

 couple being killed at one time. 



There is often much inconvenience in thi> fort of it ock, from 

 their getting out oftheir inclofures, and defl:roying tlie young 

 corn-crops, new fown graffes, young turnips, and the quick 

 hedges as well as young plantations of apple-trees that may 

 be in the neighbourhood. This forjns a material objedlion 

 tc- this fort "of ftock by' the farmer. 



Tame Rabbits. — In refpeft to breeding and rearing tame 

 rabbits with the view of profit, thofe who are engaged in 

 the bufinefs perform it in hutches, which mull be kept very 

 neat and clean, otherwife the rabbits will be iubject to dif- 

 eafc- Care mull be taken alfo to keep the buck and does 

 apart, till the latter have juft kindled, then they are to be 

 turned to the bucks again, and to remain with them till they 

 fliun and run from them. 



And the general direftion for the choofing of tame rabbits, 

 is to pick the largeft and fleekeft : but the breeder fliould re- 

 member, that the fl<ins of the filver-haired and white forts 

 fell better than any other. Tiie food of the tame rabbits 

 may be colewort and cabbage-leaves, carrots, parfnips, green 

 corn, and vetches in the time of year ; alfo parfley, grafs, 

 green leaves, milk, and fow-thiflles, and other fimilar plants, 

 but with thefe moiil foods they rauil conllantly have a pro- 

 portionable quantity of dry food, as hay, bread, oats, bran, 

 and other fimilar matters, otherwife they grow pot-bellied, 

 and die. Bran and grain mixed together have been found 



to 



