Volume 1

The variation of animals and plants under domestication / by Charles Darwin.

Date:
1868
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The variation of animals and plants under domestication / by Charles Darwin. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    coloured nearly like the so-called Himalayan rabbits, presently to be described, and differed from them only in tlic character of their fm-. There are two other breeds which come true to colour, but differ in no other respect, namely silver-greys and chinchillas. Lastly, the Nicard or Dutch rabbit may be mentioned, which vaiies in colour, and is remarkable from its small size, some specimens weighing only 1^ lb.; rabbits of this breed make excellent nurses for other and more delicate kinds.' Certain characters are remarkably fluctuating, or are very feebly transmitted by domestic rabbits: thus, one breeder tells me that with the smaller kinds he has hardly ever raised a whole litter of the same colour: with the large lop- eared breeds it is impossible, says a gTcat judge,'' to breed true to colom-, but by judicious crossing a great deal may be done towards it. The fancier should know how his does are bred, that is, the colour of their parents. Nevertheless, certain colours, as we shall presently see, are transmitted truly. The dewlap is not strictly inherited. Lop-eared i-abbits, with their ears hanging flat down on each side of the face, do not transmit this character at all truly. Mr. Delamer remarks that, with fancy rabbits, when both the parents are perfectly formed, have model ears, and are handsomely marked, their progeny do not invariably turn out the same. When one parent, or even both, are oar-laps, that is, have their ears sticking out at right angles, or when one parent or both are half-lops, that is, have only one ear dejDendent, there is nearly as good a chance of the progeny having both ears full-lop, as if both parents had been thus cha- racterized. But I am informed, if both parents have upright ears, there is hardly a chance of a full-lop. In some half-lops the ear that hangs down is broader and longer than the upright ear so that we have the unusual case of a want of symmetry on the two sides. This difference in the position and size of the two ears probably indicates that the lopping of the ear results '» 'Journal of Horticulture,' May, p. 141; also 'Poultry Chronicle,' vol. 28tli, 1801, p. 109. ii. p. 499, and ditto for 1854, p. 58G. 'Journal of Horticulture,'1801, p. Delamer, 'Pigeons and Rabbits, 827. With respect to the ears, see p. 130, See alao 'Journal of Horti- Delamer on ' Pigeons and Rabbits,' 1854, culture,' 1861, p. 375.