Growth Rates and Racial Size in Rabbits and Birds

Abstract

Rabbits of large racial size grow faster than those of small racial size, both before birth and afterward. This conclusion rests on extensive experimental studies of the growth rates of Flemish Giant and Polish rabbits. Robb''s conclusion that for a period after birth the two races grow at the same rate rests on a mistaken interpretation of part only of the experimental data. The observations of Riddle and others on birds support the conclusion based on the rabbit data.