The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-02-08
Rats And Rabbits.

tants Of the several Australian colonies
are searching for some means of dimin-
ishing the vast numbers Of the rabbits
which are devouing the produce of the
soil, the history OF the acclimatization
and utilization of the mungooso in til Q
island Of Jamaica, which was related in
paper read by Mr.. w. Bancroft E,-
pent. at the meeting Of the Geological
Society lately may not be without
interest. A few years sinoe the growth
OF crops i'll the island WAS 80 seriously
lnterfered with by the number of rats.
that land was allowed to pass out of cul-
Yation, an expenditure of from G2OO to
e3OO annually Oh several of tho estates
failing to keep down numbers of the
three species of these destructive rodents
the brown and black rat, and the cane
pine rat (Mus sacoharivorous).
Several attempts, to introduce a,limals
destructive to the rats had been made,
but without success. Tho raflls ant
Formica omnivora) was ofiectuul in Ger
tain localities, but it was equally effl;a-
clous i'll destroying native birds, chic.
kcns, puppies, aud even occasionally
killed calves. The aqua toals, rs n
remedy. proved as bad as the disease, rs
they killed all ground birds, chckcns
and eggs. Fcrrets were also introduced,
there being no musteline animal native
to the island: But they wcro destroyed
useless, rs they were cut by tho sorrated
edges of tho sugar cane. In 1876 Mr..
Is. ESpent introduced nine murgooses,
four males and five females, one of the
latter with young ones, direct ltom India.
Those werc distributed, and in few
months had bred freely. So great was
the destruction Of rats effected by those
animals that i'll two years tho expendl.
ture for the cxtirpation OF rats had
ceased, rs they were not only dissent
mated by the introducer, but the young
mnngooses were trapped alive by tho
negroes at Is. each, the original expense
OF their Introduction being about Gl per
head. The beneficial effect of their ill.,
PRODUCTION las been variously estimated
at sums varying from G1OO, 900 to $780,
900 yerr.
In 1876 the growth OF cocoa was al.
most impossible, the export OF chocolate
and cocoon MOS for tho whole island only
amounting to G870 pcr annum; in five
years tho value of the export had risen
to G!l.oon. And coffee, maize, peas.
most entirely ceased, wcro large1y' ciii- iii:
tivatsd. The utility of tho mungoose
was not confined to the destruction OF
Of rats, rs it destroyed vast numbers of
snakes, toads, and land crabs. Since
the advantage of tho mungoos III Ja-
maica has been proved it has boon in
troduced into several of the other is
lands, rs Cuba, Barbadoes, Porto Rico.
Several subsequent importations have
been made into Jamaica, but the az
rivals sent from England have not done
us we'll as those imported direct from
India.
Tho OILY objection made to the num-
goose is that it has interfered with the
ground-nestin birds; thus tho numbers
of tho quail have been observed to be
diminished. Domestic poultry have not
suffered seriously, or perhaps not rs
much as they previously did from the
rats and snakes. In those parts of India
where they are found they are not re-
garded as being specially obnoxious to
tame unimals. A singular result has fol-
lowed their acclimatization in Jamaica;
they have effected al alteration in the
habit Of the rats, that have taken to tree
climbing, making their nests In the ho)-
lows of the trees where the mungoose
cannot follow them. The SUCCESS whioIl
has attended the acclimatization of these
animals i'll tho West Indies may possibly
lead to q trial of their services in Austria
lilo rs dcstroyers Of the rabbit.
tn I'm .,,xF.s