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RAISING BELGIAN HARES AND OTHER RABBITS. 



HISTORY AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BELGIAN HARE. 



ORIGIN. 



The Belgian hare probably originated in Belgium or northern 

 France. It was quite generally known in the northern part of Con- 

 tinental Europe before the attention of English fanciers was directed 

 to it. As their first stock came from Belgium, that country was 

 credited with having originated the breed, which was exploited in 

 England and elsewhere as being a cross between the rabbit and the 

 wild hare {Lejnis timidus)} This claim seems to have been fully 

 disproved by many unsuccessful efforts to produce the same cross. 



Pig. 1. — Belgian hare. 



The chief known reason for calling the animal a hare lies in its color 

 resemblance to the wild hare. (Fig. 1.) 



THE BELGIAN HARE IN AMERICA. 



In the hands of English fanciers, the Belgian hare was greatly 

 improved, and it is still a popular breed with them, although the 

 fad for it never reached the acute stage shown later among American 

 breeders. The animal was introduced into this country over 20 years 

 ago, and within a few years its popularity became astounding. The 

 finest show animals commanded enormous prices and extraordinary 

 claims were made as to the excellence of the breed for the table. As 

 was natural, when the reaction came and the public found out that 



1 J. Simpson, in The Wild Rabbit (London, 1895), states that the Belgian hare is such 

 a hybrid, and that it was originated by a M. Roux, of Angoul§me, Prance. 

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