FANCIER S’ JOURNAL AND POULTRY EXCHANGE. 
489 
usually efl'ect a cure. In rabbits hall-grown or over it will- 
take a longer time. The best age to apply it is immediately 
they are weaned. The leather should be the thickness of 
ordinary boot-leather. Yours truly, 
A. M. Halsted. 
A SINGULAR CASE. 
Last winter I sold a fine Angora doe to Mr. 0. H. Turner, 
of St. Louis, writing him that she was with young, and 
would probably kindle on the 19th of the month. On the 
12th I took her from the hutch to ship her, but noticing that 
she showed no appearance of increase, I put her in with the 
buck again. She was served five times. Convinced that I 
was wrong, I wrote Mr. Turner that I was in error, lor the 
doe had just taken the buck again, and that he need not look 
for any increase until thirty days from that time. 
On the 25th I received a letter from him that the doe had 
kindled on the 19 (A, had a line litter, and was doing well. It 
struck me as being a most remarkable case. Have any of 
your readers heard of anything similar? 
Yours truly, A. M. Haested. 
(For Fanciers’ Journal.) 
TORPEDO VERSUS DOG. 
We have a fine young Newfoundland dog, or rather we 
did have, and this is how it became necessary to make the 
above correction. 
Little Miss Jennie (by way of compromise) has an allow- 
ance of “fireproof” fireworks, sometimes called torpedoes, 
on the 4th of July. While playing with them on the door- 
steps, she received an invitation to ride, and torpedoes were 
forgotten for the time. 
By and by they were missed, and a council of war was 
held at the dinner-table. Many suggestions, more or less 
brilliant, were made, till finally Eben, mounting the back 
of his chair, orated thusly : 
“ Them ’ere torpedoes be inside the black dog. They were 
left outdoors. She was outdoors. She is full of mischief, 
and has a large mouth, and that is where they went, I bet 
ye a hokey.” Breathlessly, amid general applause, he de- 
scended to his seat. His brilliant solution of the mystery was 
at once adopted, and ways and means for recovering the lost 
property were next considered. Among the many plans was 
one for wedging her mouth open, while the smallest boy on 
the farm should be held by the heels, and allowed to make 
an entry for exploration. Again, that she be placed in the 
shop-vise, and submitted to a steady and regular pressure, 
or that she be laid gently on the stone steps and carefully 
percussioned (is that a new word?) with the sledge-hammer. 
But the best plan seemed to be to cause a compound explo- 
sion by the common process of exploding the torpedoes. 
Accordingly a committee was appointed to carry said dog 
to the chamber, and throw him to the ground below. The 
neighbors all declare that they heard a “ distant roar of mus- 
ketry.” When the front yard was swept up, we found twenty 
small pieces of fancy colored tissue-paper, one-half pint small 
gravel stones, a small tuft of black hair, and the tip of a 
dog’s tail. 
“ That’s the how of it, sir.” E. S. Demmon. 
Ashby, July 4th, 1874. 
S|w\ll Pej DepvttfU- 
42®^ All communications and contributions intended for this depart- 
ment should be addressed to HOWARD I. IRELAND, 318 Stevens Street, 
Camden, N. J., or care of Joseph M. Wade, 39 North Ninth St., Philada. 
THE BELGIAN HARE-RABBIT. 
This large and fine variety is, as yet, but little known in 
this country. Even in England it is only quite recently that 
it has come prominently into the notice of the fanciers of 
these pets. 
As its name suggests, it comes from Belgium ; the addi- 
tional name of “ hare ” being added to it because of its great 
resemblance to that animal, and also because it was, at first, 
claimed to be a hybrid between the rabbit and the hare. 
That this latter supposition is incorrect, has been proved 
again and again by actual experiment. The two animals 
are entirely distinct, and will not hybridize. 
The young of each are entirely different in appearance and 
habit. The young rabbit comes into existence blind, tooth- 
less, destitute of fur, and helpless ; and it suckles its mother 
for ten days before feeding on other food. The young hare 
makes its appearance with its eyes open, teeth, a good coat 
of fur, and will commence eating grass or other food in a few 
hours after birth. 
Among English breeders who have given them attention 
the Belgians are greatly liked. They are said to be the most 
profitable of any of the varieties ; they are large, weighing 
from ten to twelve pounds ; very prolific (which is unusual 
for the large varieties), and very hardy. It is said they are 
being purchased quite largely by gentlemen in England to 
turn into their warrens, the cross being very desirable for 
size and hardiness, and, at two or three months old, attain- 
ing the size of the common rabbit. 
James Boyle, Jr., in the Poultry Review , says of them : 
“ The points of a Belgian fit for exhibiting are rather numer- 
ous, but soon told. The first and most important is the color, 
which is the most striking feature about them. They should 
be of a rich brown, nicely ticked like the wild English hare 
(the nearer they approach this animal in color the better), 
and free from white, though I should not overlook a good 
colored and large specimen even if it had a little white fur. 
Next is size; they should be as large as you can procure 
them, and weigh generally from ten to twelve pounds. I 
have seen some few even heavier than this. Next we have 
their general formation ; they should possess a long, graceful 
bod}', nicely arched back, broad across the shoulders, a mod- 
erately full-sized head, clear, sharp eyes, and good strong 
legs. Their general appearance is a bold, independent 
rabbit. 
“The does may not produce a great many young, and still 
