The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-27

hare-doe has but two litters year. and
never more than two or three to the lit
ter; the young are born with their eyes
open, and with full coat OF skin; they
begin to run around in a few hours after
birth. This new animal produced FIVE or
six filters, OF from six to twelve young
naked blind, and helpless, in the year
Again, the hare does not burrow, but
sleeps in what is known as a form,
which is nothing more than hollow
scooped out OF the earth or leaves; IL
seeks It's food at night, and remains hid
den during the day. The new animal
reared its young in deep burrow. and
was often discovered abroad in daylight.
This hare-rabbit was called the Leporine,
until introduced into England. about 1850.
The Englishman soon found out two
things about the Leporine. One was, that
its meat was very dainty. and totally un-
like that of the ordinary hare or rabbit.
The other was that IL was very susceptible
to scientific mating. John Bull is very fond
of his dinner. and the gentlemen of les-
ure OF that country are all fanciers of
some kind of live stock. So the Leporine.
which now began to be called ,he Belgian
hare. to distinguish 1t from the English
hare. combined two features very popular
to the Briton. and many persons sent TO
Belgium for stock and began raising them.
As some were raising for meat purposes
only. and others were trying TO produce
animals little finer in their markings
than his neighbor. two very different tyres
were soon evolved. The former were striv-
ing to add to the weight so they would
grow more meat. and so were mating the
largest specimens. regardless of points.
The laser were sacrificing size to mark
ings.
About 1880 an effort was made to conf
bine the breeders into a national club. Ii
was then that the great difference in the
ideals of the two factions was made dis
tinctly apparent-A meeting of the breed
ers was called andntwo standards were
adopted; one for the Flemish giant. by
which the meat strain of the Leporine
has ever since been called. and the other
for the show animal which retained the
title of Belgian hare. So the two breeds
are cousins. The breeders of the Flem-
ish giant have succeeded in producing a
large, fine looking steely gray animal.
weighing as much asl sixteen or eighteen
pounds, but for some reason the meat has
lost much of the fneness and daintiness
of The original Belgian. II is believed That
this is the result Of some crossings with
Continental rabbits for the sake OF size.
The standard adopted at this time for
the Belgian proper was used fof NUMBER
of years, but was changed in 1883, at
which time the present standard was
change was in regard to ticking; the pre-
vious standard required the animal to be
evenly licked all over the body. head. and
breast, and down the legs to the Feet. Inc
present standard confines the ticking TO
the back and requires it to be In waves
and not evenly distributed.
A clause in House bill 1881, amending
the game laws of the District, reads as
follows: That no person shall kill. ex-
10 hay
session any squirrel or rabbit except the
species known as the English rabbit. be-
the list day of February and the LIST day
OF November. under penalty OF " lot
each squirrel or rabbit. etc II the Dill
had been passed as It was reported. IL
would have made the breeding OF Belgian
hares Illegal. Enough of the Repre- senta-
lives. however, supported the amendment
offered by Mr.. Cowherd to except the
Belgian hare from the provisions of the
bill, SO there will be no iiiegality in
raising hares in the District.