Medallist, Paris, 1910-11

Specialist Breeder and fudge of Poultry, Pigeons, and Cage Birds; fudge at the Grand International Show, Crystal Palace;

Societe des Aviculteurs Francais; Vice-president Poultry Club; Hon.sec.yokohama Club; on the Committee Middlesex Columbarian Society,

• Indian Game Club, etc.

The Himalayan Rabbit - Its Original Habitat - A Pretty and Docile Pet - How It Obtained

Its Name - The Appearance of a Good Specimen - How to Feed and Treat Himalayan Rabbits - The

Flemish Giant a Good Utility Breed - Its Points - The Requisite Care of the Breed

Amongst the many different breeds of fancy rabbits seen at shows, the little Himalayan rabbit receives a very big share of attention and praise, especially from lady visitors, on account of its neat and stylish appearance.

It is generally supposed that these rabbits originally came from the region of the Himalayan Mountains, hence their name.

The animal was also known as the Chinese rabbit, as the breed is kept very largely in China, and was imported into England from that country.

The marking on the nose, ears, feet, and tail should be as dark as possible, and the nearer it is to jet black in colour the better.

This point of colour is most difficult to get perfect; it is harder to obtain a good dark colour on the feet than on the nose and ears, for they are very often of a lightish brown colour, a fault more pronounced in the colour of the hind feet, which in some specimens are of a grey colour.

These faults, besides spoiling the animal for exhibition purposes, prevent it looking nearly as pretty as a rabbit with sound dark-coloured ears, nose, feet, and tail all of a uniform colour.

The white fur should be of a pure snowy whiteness, thus forming a pretty contrast to the black markings and making the little

Himalayan a very attractive subject for a woman's pet.

In colour the eyes of the Himalayan rabbit are a beautiful pink, and this also adds to the beauty of the animal. These rabbits are hardy in constitution, of an affectionate disposition, and breed very true to shape and marking.

The does are very good mothers, being attentive to their young, which number from five to as many as eight at a birth. They are jealous of their young ones, and do not like anyone to interfere with them. They breed very freely, but should not be allowed to have more than two litters in a year.

The young ones should be left with their mother until they are about two months old. At this age they have very little of the dark marking noticeable, and have the appearance of being white rabbits; but the markings will soon begin to show, at first faintly, but gradually getting stronger, until the young ones are the same colour as their parents. This happens at about six to nine months old, some specimens taking longer to mature than others.

Himalayans are, as stated, of a hardy constitution and seldom suffer from any complaints. They should, however, be kept out of draughts, and their hutches should be protected during the winter. It is also advisable to keep them out of the sun.

The Himalayan rabbit, formerly known as the Chinese rabbit, from the fact that it was imported into this country from China. This pretty little black and white rabbit makes an admirable pet, being both docile and hardy

This illustration shows the relative sizes of the Flemish giant and the Himalayan rabbit

The usual weight of a good Himalayan rabbit is from about four to six pounds.

The Flemish giant rabbit is the largest breed of fancy rabbits in this country.

It was originally imported into this country from Flanders, and from its size is known as the Flemish giant rabbit.

Full-grown specimens weigh as much as twelve pounds, and occasionally one meets an extra large specimen weighing fourteen pounds and over. These rabbits are a very fine variety to keep as a utility breed, as the flesh is of good quality and flavour.

The colour of the fur should be iron-grey, with a brownish tint, except on the underpays, which are white. The dark fur is marked with black, known as "ticking," which gives it a very nice appearance. It should be quite free from any warmish sandy colour, such as that on a Belgian hare rabbit, neither must there be any white fur on the head or, in fact, any part that ought to be of the pure dark colour.

In shape this rabbit is a long and broad animal, with a heavy dewlap - viz., the fulness in the throat and chest - which other breeds of rabbits should not have. The illustration given on this page was drawn from a doe, or female. The head should be large, with big, bright eyes ; ears fairly long and carried upright; body large and long. The legs and feet should be strong and straight. These rabbits naturally require larger hutches and a more liberal diet than the smaller varieties. The breeding-hutch for does should be about 5 ft. long, 2 ft. wide, and I8 in. or 24 in. high. One end should be partitioned off for the sleeping compartment.

The hutches for the bucks need not be so long, but should be of the same height ; lower hutches are apt to spoil the carriage of the ears.

The animals should be kept well supplied with sweet, fresh hay, and the floor of the hutches kept clean and dry. Three meals a day will not be too many for these rabbits. For breakfast they should have soft food, consisting of barley meal, ground oats, and middlings, well mixed and then scalded with boiling water. In the middle of the day they should have a meal of greenstuff or roots, swedes being a very good food in the winter-time.

The night feed should consist of some good, sound, heavy oats. Some breeders give them a feed of" warm bread-and-milk at night-time.

The Flemish giant rabbit, so called from Flanders, its original home. This species of rabbit is the largest known in this country.

How To Furnish A Small Flat For £100

The walls of this dining-room are of a light buff colour,and the paint is a dark oak shade. Brown linoleum is used as a surround for a fawn-and-red carpet, and the furniture is entirely of oak. The casement curtain is of the same colour as the walls. The cost of furnishing such a room would not exceed £22. (See page 3842.)