THE RABBIT. 



one, and much more intricate ; at the bottom of this me conftru&s a fpacious 

 apartment, which Ihe lines with down plucked from her own body, and 

 thus forms a warm bed for the reception of her young. Thefe me feldom 

 leaves during the two firfi: days, unlefs forced by hunger; and then me 

 returns to them with all poilible expedition. She ruckles them near fix 

 weeks, when they are generally fit to come abroad, and are received, with 

 great appearance of afFe&ion, by the male, who, though prior to that period 

 he will frequently kill them, feems now to acknowledge his offspring, by 

 taking them between his paws, fmoothing their fkins, and licking their eyes ; 

 each in its turn receiving an equal fliare of his carelfes. 



Wild Rabbits are invariably brown, but, when do medicated, become, 

 like all other creatures taken under the protection of man, fubjeci to almoft 

 every variety of colour. Pennant fays, white Rabbits have eyes of a 

 beautiful red colour ; but this is not uniformly the cafe. Tame Rabbits are 

 larger than the wild ones, but their flelh is fofter, and not fo high-flavoured. 



The Rabbit is fubjecT: to two diftempers equally fatal. The moll common 

 and dangerous of thefe is called the rot. This is brought on by fufFering 

 them to eat food which is too full of moifture. Their greens Ihould 

 therefore be always given them dry, and a proper quantity of fiiort hay 

 fhould be mixed with them. But the befi: food for tame Rabbits is the 

 Ihortefl: and fweeteft hay that can be procured ; one load of which will 

 maintain two hundred couple for a year : of this Hock four hundred couple 

 may be yearly confumed or fold, and a funicient number will remain to keep 

 up the flock, and guard againfi: accidents : fo that, reckoning the price of 

 each Rabbit at the very moderate rate of fixpence, which is confiderably 

 below the ufual value, the amount of the profits on one year's produce will 

 be twenty pounds, which is confiderably more than three hundred per cent, 

 exclufive of the Ikins. 



They are likewife fubjeci: to a fort of madnefs : when attacked with 

 this diforder, they wallow and tumble about, with their heels upwards, 

 and hop in a very lingular manner. The caufe of this difeafe is not certainly 

 known, but it is generally fuppofed to be occalioned by the ranknefs of their 



