alarmed, or whenever they please, they have the power of rolling themselves up into a tight round ball, which shows nothing but spikes, and may be rolled along like a cricket-ball, without causing the little animal to uncoil itself, while every spike is firm and erect as a needle, and almost as sharp. While in this shape very few dogs can worry the hedgehog, and as for the fox, who is rather partial to him, true to his wily nature, he rolls the poor hedgehog along with his paws until he comes to a pool of water, when the hedgehog unrolls himself, exclaiming, no doubt, "Hey, what the deuce is this; why I can't breathe!" and trying to peep about and see what's the matter, the fox, on the look out, seizes him by the belly and eats him all up saving the spines. Were you to thrust a dozen pins with large heads through a piece of parchment, you would have an exact representation of the spines of the hedgehog, every one of which is retained inside the skin by the large pin-like head.

Some say it sucks the cows and draws off their milk, but this is absurd, as its mouth is not adapted for sucking: its favourite food is insects and snails; it also feeds on frogs and mice, and will even kill a snake and eat it all up, beginning at the tail. The way it kills a snake is very curious: it gives the snake a bite on the back, then rolls itself up like a ball, remaining still as a stone for some time, while the snake lashes and writhes about in agony; as soon as the snake is a little quiet the hedgehog gives him another sharp bite on the spine, and so continues until the snake is killed, then he begins at the tail, as the Rev. J. G. Wood tells us in his beautifully "Illustrated Natural History," and eats him up "as one would a radish." In a natural state it sleeps all the winter, rolled up in a hole which it has filled with grass, moss, or leaves; and when domesticated it will hide itself in some dark corner for weeks, and never once make its appearance unless it chances to awake and feel hungry, then some day you will see it come creeping towards the fire, and be very glad to see it too. They are great destroyers of beetles, eating them up as you would a handful of raisins, and seeming equally fond of them. They need no looking after at all, but will take care of themselves, though it is as well to have a little hutch to put them into now and then. Their feeding time is in the night, and if there are black beetles in the kitchen the best plan is to leave the hedgehog there, and let him devour all he can catch. They have four or five young ones at a litter, which are born blind. It is no uncommon sight to see a countryman with both old and young ones to sell. You can buy a young hedgehog for sixpence, and an old one for a shilling, or less than that even. We know of no animal that is less trouble to keep, and in time it becomes so tame as to come out of its hiding-place when called.

PERHAPS of all pet animals-always excepting the dog, who is the companion and faithful friend of both men and boys-there are none that are greater favourites than rabbits; they are such pretty things, with their long ears and diversified colours, and may be kept so clean, too, if well looked after. Then they find a boy plenty of occupation when he takes a country walk, or even if only in the suburbs of a city, for where does not the dandelion and sow-thistle grow? and there is no green meat that rabbits are fonder of than these wild plants. Building the rabbit-cote, too, is pleasant employment; buying the tea-chest for the hutch, too, and making it, finds a boy something to do, then nailing laths before it, making a door with leather hinges, then a trough for the rabbits to eat out of, all of which require some skill, and which a clever lad will do.

They are such playful things, too, if they have plenty of room; and happy is the lad who can get some little outhouse allotted to him where he and his rabbits can have it all to themselves. How they will frisk, and leap, and play with one another, and keep so healthy with such exercise, that not a pot-bellied one will be found amongst them.

Some boys are satisfied with keeping common rabbits, whilst others, more chary in their taste and choice, stock their little rabbitries with the more expensive fancy ones, which, in point of appearance and beauty of colour, are unquestionably more worthy of attention. It is not essentially requisite that the young fancier should procure first-rate animals when he first lays in his stock, as he may purchase very good rabbits deficient in one property or the other, but which will produce, as frequently as the best, first-rate young ones, for a comparatively moderate price, often at much less than a fourth of what would be asked for them were they perfect in all their properties. Fancy rabbits are rather more delicate, and require a little more care in their management, than the common ones; but as they want neither more nor better food, the extra trouble is worthily bestowed.

THE WILD RABBIT.

The wild rabbit, if not a native of this country, was known in England at a very early period, for we find one of the favourite diversions of the people in the early ages was to let these animals loose amongst crowds of spectators for boys to hunt; the interest of the sport being the confusion caused by the endeavours of the poor affrighted little creatures to escape amongst the bystanders, and the hearty and boisterous glee with which the juvenile huntsmen followed and strove to secure their timid prey. The methods then in use for snaring and taking them alive were similar to those employed at the present day.

Though the wild rabbit in its general appearance greatly resembles the hare, yet the two species never intermix or inhabit the same tract of country, the rabbit dwelling in a burrow or hole, called a warren, where large numbers congregate together, which it makes for itself in banks or broken ground, generally in a district where the soil is of a sandy or gravelly nature; whilst the hare chooses its retreat near some low bush, fern, or other slight shelter, on rich and somewhat flat and dry ground. Rabbits are destroyed in immense numbers by various methods, of which ferreting is one of the principal; the ferret is muzzled, and having a bell fastened round its neck, is turned into one of the chief holes, which is then, with all the surrounding ones, carefully covered over with little purse-shaped nets, firmly secured by means of wooden pegs; the rabbits, terrified by the appearance of their natural enemy, immediately rush to one of the openings, where they become entangled in the net, and are caught. Hunting them with dogs is another method of destroying rabbits; terriers and spaniels are generally used for this sport, which is mostly carried on in the autumn, when the crops have been gathered in, and as the little animals frequently lie at that period of the year in hedges, often at some distance from a burrow, they stand but little chance of escape from the attacks of two or three active dogs. Great numbers are also shot.

The wild rabbit is amazingly prolific, breeding four or five times a year, and producing from five to seven, eight, or nine even, each

time; but from its numerous four-footed and flying enemies, such as weasels, foxes, polecats, falcons, kites, &c., the effects of damp, and the singularly-unnatural propensity of the old bucks to eat up the little ones, the race is prevented from increasing to an obnoxious extent. The most beautiful variety of the wild rabbit is that brought from the vicinity of the city of Angora, in Asia Minor, and from thence called the Angora rabbit; it is an extremely pretty animal, being covered with long silky hair or fur, which when dressed forms a valuable article of commerce.

others fawn, some brown, and some grey with tawny feet. Persons who are particular with respect to the colours of their rabbits, should endeavour to ascertain the colours of the does from which their stock came, for it often happens that rabbits produce litters in which not one young one of their own tint can be found; for instance, if a cross of grey happened to be in the stock some four or five generations back, it may appear again, although all your breeding rabbits are of other colours. Grey is the worst of all colours, in the opinion of the fancy, and the most difficult to get rid of, yet it does not always happen that grey rabbits throw litters of their

own colour.

When choosing does for rearing, take the largest from those rabbits which have the fewest in their litters, as it is supposed that when the does have but few at a time, the young ones are more likely to turn out fine; let the little ones remain with their mothers until they are about six weeks old, then take them away, and keep them in hutches, two together, for about the same period, and as they become excessively quarrelsome in their dispositions when near four months old, they must then be separated. When you lift up your young rabbits, always take hold of them by the ears, and place one hand under the lower part of their backs, for it is injurious to handle them too much.

Although does will breed at the age of six months, it is better that they and the bucks be ten or twelve months old before they are first put together; the rabbits should not be left together for more than ten minutes. The doe goes with young thirty days, and towards the time when she may be expected to kindle, fresh hay or oat-straw, or both, should be given to her for a bed; when she

nibbles the hay or straw into little bits, it is an unfailing proof that she is with young; and a few days before kindling, she tears the soft flue or fur from her body, to make a nest for her young ones. If, as it often happens, some does have a large number of young ones at a kindle, and others but few, it is as well to equalize the number for each to rear, by taking from those which have the most and giving them to those with the fewest.

About six weeks after kindling, the old rabbits may be put together again, but if the doe has had a large number of sucklings, a longer period should elapse. If the doe is weak after kindling, a malt mash, made of fine pollard scalded, or barley-meal with a small quantity of cordial horse-ball mixed up with it, will be found beneficial. Bread soaked in milk and then squeezed rather dry, will also strengthen her materially, if she can be made to take it. Those fanciers who keep their rabbits mewed up in hutches, should not let their does have more than three litters in a year. It is necessary to protect the young rabbits from the old bucks, otherwise they will be certainly devoured; and as rats and other vermin are particularly fond of such delicate morsels, making a meal off all which come in their way, it is requisite to construct the hutches so as to keep them out. If you have a doe which possesses so little affection as to destroy her young ones, fatten her at once, for the sooner she is killed and eaten the better. Pink-eyed ones they say are the most guilty.

The

To the feeding of his rabbits, the young fancier must pay great attention, he should carefully see to them twice a day, at the very least; that is, early in the morning and in the evening, and according to the rule of many fanciers, give them another meal in the middle of the day. Abstain from giving a superfluity of food, else they will become cloyed, and waste also what they cannot eat. most suitable food consists of the delicate tops of carrots, celery, parsnips, hare-parsley, and furze; the leaves and roots of white beet, stalks of dandelions, sow-thistles, and lettuces; grass, clover, tares, coleworts, and cabbages in moderation, apples, pears, pulse, corn, and Jerusalem artichokes. Cabbage leaves should be given with discretion, as they are apt to disagree with the animals; in fact, too much green food is injurious, being likely to produce a disorder termed pot-belly. To guard against an evil of that kind, a due proportion of dry food, such as fine fresh hay, pea-straw, or corn, should be frequently given with the moist vegetables; it is very different with wild rabbits that have plenty of fresh air and exercise. When it is impossible to procure greens, roots, or grains, the corn may be slightly moistened with water or milk, and indeed, during a dearth of fresh vegetables, a small quantity of tea-leaves, squeezed tolerably dry, will be found to agree very well with the rabbits. Some fanciers give a tablespoonful of water, beer, or milk occasionally to their rabbits, when corn forms the chief part of their aliment, but never when greens can be obtained. Rabbits accustomed to live chiefly upon bran or any other kind of dry food, will eat with great avidity the parings of turnips, apples, or pears. Pota