202 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION, June 30, 1857. 
THE STEWARTON SYSTEM OF 
BEE-KEEPING. 
I annex the weights of the three selected Hives taken on 
the 15 th of June:— 
No. 1.32 lbs. 
o 07 
O O 
• • • • » • • 
Since I last wrote the weather has been magnificent, hut 
j I have had no swarming, although that work is likely to 
commence in a few days. The hives have not yet been 
altered in any way.— Robert Wilson, Stewarton. 
• _ 
REARING BULLFINCHES. 
I saw in a recent number a request from a correspondent 
to be told the method of rearing young Bullfinches. Bull¬ 
finches should be taken at about five days old, because if 
they are left longer they acquire the harsh notes of the 
parents (I presume your correspondent wishes his birds to 
learn an artificial strain). To obtain nests of Bullfinches 
we must look in the deepest, darkest recesses of woods, in 
the lower branches of the Pine tree. The young birds must 
be fed on the crumb of white bread soaked in warm milk, 
mashed up with soaked rape seed. When older, feed them 
entirely on soaked rape seed, lettuces, fruit, and millet seed, 
and above all things let your Bullfinches and all your birds 
have plenty of good freak tenter, and red sand at the bottom 
of the cage. 
Feed the young birds every two hours, and if it is not con¬ 
venient to rise at 5 a.m. to feed them, shut them up over¬ 
night in a dark place, that they may sleep away their hunger 
till you are up. 
Bullfinches may be taught to whistle airs beautifully if 
the lessons are given with patience and kindness; and re¬ 
member that if any one thinks he cannot resolve to take 
trouble and attend regularly to his birds he had far better at 
once kill them out of their misery. 
If you think you would have space I would write more 
directions gradually for rearing all our best birds.— Amator 
Ruris. 
[If founded upon your own experience we shall be very 
much obliged by your proffered notes, as we are by the 
above information relative to Bullfinches.— Ed. C. G.] 
FANCY RABBITS. 
THE HORN-LOP. 
This sub-variety of the Fancy Rabbit takes its name from I 
the very peculiar position in which the ears are carried, for | 
it droops them forwards and a little downwards over the eyes, 
resembling, on the whole, the horns of a cow. 
Like the “ Oar-lop ” this Rabbit may be produced by first- 
rate parents of the “ Full-lopped ” variety, and, like the Oar- 
lop, it may, by judicious mating, become the parent of first- 
class stock; but more frequently it is the result of a cross 
with the common Rabbit, which will evidence itself even ! 
through many generations, especially in the toughness and 
general firmness of the ear. When it is the result of such 
a ci’oss the ear will be found thicker in substance, and not ! 
so semi-transparent as in the more highly-bred animal. The : 
veins will not be so prominent, the hair on the outside of the I 
ear will be thicker and longer, and the ear itself will not be 
so broad in the centre and so tapering at the extremity as 
in the thorough bred specimen. But, although it is well to j 
bear these circumstances in mind, I do think that it is j 
impossible at any time to decide satisfactorily whether a 1 
Ilorn-lop be the produce of a pure strain or not, unless ; 
that strain be perfectly well known. The Horn-lop is not ! 
so frequently met with as the Oar-lop, but is not on that 
account to be more valued; for, on the other hand, I think 
its general appearance is more likely to impress an inex¬ 
perienced judge with a conviction of its greater purity of 
blood, which is not by any means the case. In colour, form, 
size, and habits it resembles any other variety of the Lop- 
eared Rabbit.— Percy Boulton. 
