A TYPE OF MATERNAL BEHAVIOUR IN THE NORMAL STROUS FEMALE RABBIT

¹ The Department of Social Biology in the University of London

At the completion of this investigation the writer was informed by a well-known rabbit-fur breeder that the behaviour described above occurs with such frequency in the spring among isolated female rabbits as to constitute a serious drawback when breeding for fur. It is apparently customary on his farm to mate animals shortly before exhibition, as this prevents untimely ruination of their coats. This agrees with the findings given in the present paper. For it shows that as the animals can become pregnant or pseudo-pregnant ripe follicles must necessarily be present in the ovaries. Pseudo-pregnancy alone cannot therefore account for the phenomenon.

These observations were made during investigations financed by a Grant made to the Department by the Sex Hormones Committee of the Medical Research Council.