, 1884-02-02
THE RABBIT PEST.
History OF Australia's Ever Increas-
ing Plague
sheep Farmers Forced TO Abandon
Their Runs--The Various Pre-
yentIve Measures whieh
Have Been Taken.

Who could have foreseen, when about a
quarter OF a century ago the rabbits were
imported into south Australia as delicacies
for the table, that to-day their extermina-
ton would form one OF the most serious
problems for the legislaturei
New Zealand did not receive this gift till
some years later, when 1t unfortunately oc-
CURED to a colonist in the southern islo to
turn adrift some rabbits on the bleak sand
hills along the coastal InvercargM- Accord
ingly he imported a little family Of seven
from tho old country, and very soon he and
his friends were able to indulge in some
pleasant shooting, and found Il change from
constant mutton very satisfactory
But they soon found that their sport could
not keep pace with the increase OF the rab-
bits. Soon every blade of grass was con-
sumed, and then the hungry Creatures nibbled
the roots which bound the light ssnd-hills
and prevented them from blowing over the
arabic land. The farmers began shooting
and trapping with all their might, but the
rabbits had now been introduced to Otago,
whence they spread in every direction, defy
ing all efforts of the widely scattered settlers.
who for the most part live eight or ten miles
apart, half a dozen men sufiicing to herd
hocks which range over perhaps 10000 acres.
As it was obvious that these could in no wise
check the ever-increasing evil, it became neo-
1ndl y ~ IA III W zap nlOCAY III 4
professionally. These trappers required the
aid OF large packs of dogs, and 1t was soon
found that the disturbance thus caused among
tho hocks resulted in greater mischief than
even the ravages OF the rabbits. Moreover,
the trappcrs were paid ut the rate Of two
pence u skin, but the market became 80 over
stocked that skins sold for less than thoy cost
When you consider that the rabbit begins
TO breed at the early age Of six months, and
thenceforth has about six filters a year, of
from six TO eight young. it is evident that the
increase of the species must necessarily DO ex-
cessive. 1t has been reckoned that one an
cestral couple, having attained to the age OF
~ years, may very well see around them a
prosperous clan of descendants numbering
upward OF l 10000.
Among the many efforts made to subdue
the rabbit pest none has more signally failed
than the Introduction of cats, which, from
the days Of the marquis of Carrabas down to
the present time, have proved such successful
rabbiters when working on their own &C
count. In New Zealand, however where SO
many things go by contraries), they seem to
object to sport, and to prefer a purely do
mestic life.
In Victoria it was ut first hoped that the
native cat, which is a kim of weasel, would
have provtda useful ally; but, strange to
say, it at once fraternized with the rabbits,
and now these singular friends arc said to
share the same burrows. All manner Of rem
edies have been tried, md SUCCESSFULLY given
up as useless in the face of so widespread an
evil Tho extent of the ravages could scarcely
be credited were It not for the clear statistics
OF the Rabbit Nuisance committee. Thus, in
Bouth Canterbury, New Zealand, Messis. Car
gill and Anderson state that in the previous
year they killed 500, 900 rabbits by poison, and
a., thn fotIauinn n-f, tbafr ubnan ,,r, go,
just as deeply peopled by them as ever. Mr..
Kitchen says that he kept nearly a hundred
men working as rabbit killers for four
months, and actually cleared his land. Very
soon, however, newcomers arrived and entered
into possession OF this vacant tract, and now
they are worse than ever.
Still the plague spreads, and the whole land
Is more or less infested with the pest, and
many districts are reduced to mere warrenS
Many sheep farmers have been forced to
abandon runs of from 5000 to 16, 900 acres.
Mr.. R Campbell has been compelled to aban-
don 25o, 900 acres. In one year he expended
81 5000 In the endeavor to clear about half
this land. Mr.. Reeves reports having killed
| $4,000 rabbit. within twelve months.
In 1878 the total number Of sheep In New
Zealand was upward OF Is, 0p0, 900, but so ter
rible have been the ravages Of these feeble
people" that the official returns for 1880 and
1881 show a diminution of 2,000,O 900 in the
number of sheep, and the last quarter Of 1882
shows a falling off of 10 per cent. in export of
wool as compared with the previous year.
How one mans poison may be another
mans meat has been abundAntly shown in
Australia, where several enterprising colo
nists have established rabbit preserving fac
tories on so large a scale that they may well
be described as rabbit-exterminators In
western Victoria there are two such factories,
ono at Colac and another at Camperdown.
The returns Of the former for one week were
Is, 900 pairs or rabbits, while in the same
time the latter received 10000. Thus nearly
90, 700 rabbits were disposed OF In one week
by theso two establishments.
A very important ally has, however, now
been secured, and great hopes are entertained
that it may prove a more successful rabbit
destroyer than any hitherto thought OF.
This is the Indian m~ongoose. (Herpestes
griseus), which in the last ten years has done
such good service in Jamaica as a wholesale
rat-killer. The rats, attracted by the sugar
fields, had increased in such multitudes as to
threaten the desolation of that fertile isle.
1t occurred TO one of the planters to intro
duce this notorious ratter, aud the results
have surpassed his highest hopes. These
active little creatures, resembling large fer
rets, multiplied with an extraordinary veloc-
ity, and waged a deadly war of extermina-
ton against the rats. 1t is hoped they may
prove equally eficacious in the destruction OF
rabbits, so the New Zealand and Australian
governments have applied to the government
of India for a supply of mongooses. These
are accordingly being collected at Bengal
and sent to the geological gardens in Cal
cutta, whence, when 100 couples have been
secured, they will be dispatched to their new
homes, where we niay well wish them suo.
cess