Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-22
RABBIT SKINS roR nARKEr.
Lens-Eared Peits by Millions Imported From
Australia and New Zealand.
OIIERE Is A SET OF RARIFS FIT


Lens-Eared Peits by Millions Imported From
Australia md New Zealand.
OuERE Is A SET OF sABLEs FIT
IA for . princess" said the dealer 10 a
srAa reporter. Fifteen dollars seems cheap
for them. does IL nop That 10 because they
are really made Of rabbits skins from Aus
tralia- The fact ID that there 10 hardly any fur
In the market nj present that IL not initiated
closely by the skillfui preparation Of these same
long cared pelts. New Zealand also exports them
to the number Of 10. 0oo, 900 yearly. Their pro-
duction b one Of the most important and
profitable industries Of that colony. Most Of
them are shipped to European cities. where
they gothroagh the necessary processes Of man
ufActure before being disposed Of TO the retail
merchants. The art of coloring rabbit hair has
attained such . high degree Of perfection that il
can be made TO counterfeit seal. otter, ermine
or almost any other sort Of fashion
able fur. The skins are largely made into felt
hats. which are very beautiful and soft to the
touch. When the fur il long il 10 sometimes
cut in two and the finer or inner portions are
mixed with wool. Various machines have been
invented for constructing hats Of rabbit pelts.
some OF which distribute the hair with marvel
ious rapidisy and evsnnsss on revolving metal
conea
rRRkrMRxr OF rKR pELrs
The rabbits are skinned immediately upon
being killed. the heads. feet and all the IA;
being removed. II the weather is fine the pelts
are dried in the open air. but in bad weather they
are hung up under sheds When thoroughly
dried they are turned outside in TO protect the
fur from injury and then they are tied in bundles
OF dozen to twenty each and packed in bales,
each OF which contains from 5000 TO 8. 500
skina little carbofic acid powder il used in
the packing TO preserve them from attack by
insecsa In this crude state they are worth
from 80 70 80 cents . dozen, according TO
quality.
now TIE RABBITS WERE INTRODUCED.
"The history Of the rabbits introduction
into Australia and New Zealand affords an
illustration OF the damage man may do by
| interfering with the distribution of animals
| which nature has chosen to make in the
world. When Capt Cook, the celebrated navi-
gator, nrst visited those countries he found
a fauna entirely different from that of any
other part OF the world. In Australia
gigantic marsupials like the kangaroo were
chiefly conspicuous, while in New Zealand the
only land mammals were two varieties Of the
rat and one Of the common bat Since then
standardization societies have done their best
to introduce there ell sorts of creatures on four
legs and two legs that could be brought
from elsewhere. In many instances these
efforts resulted most. unfortunately. Several
years ago some dozen pairs Of common gray
| rabbits were imported for the purpose of sup
Eta or.smsn Si.n am oolect Ior the chase.
vas msfe an. =, ra;o;.;n@ "a rs 800 NJ,
let loose with speeches and bauquets to wei.
| come them. They multiplied 80 fast tina,
| the people did not have to wait long for all the
sport Of that kind they could desire. In
| fact. they soon overran the country in such
| numbers that ii became q question whether
| they or the colonists should occupy the land
Great areas were entirely denuded of vegeta.
ton by them. so that the sheep died by mil.
lions and the raising Of crops became almost an
| tmpossibility.
PROLIFIC BuNyrEs
aRabbits be0in breaaino ,rhsn sh.x A.. al,
mon,hs ala T. a.. ...,..;..,
-" ooio anu
| uuiasotapie climate OF England, whence the
| urs. pairs were orouRnt, tney oreo seven times
| fear, put IN New Zealand and Australia,
| "nere tne grass grows always, they produce
| young every month. AT TINS rate II Is esti-
mstea tna' single pair VIII nave l,oOO, 0O0 de-
| scendants within TWO years and q bali. eight
| Young ones oelng Drought forth at litter.
| Every imaginable plan has been tried for de-
stroying them Hunting and trapping are no,
enecuve; ferrets were imported by hundreds
| lnasmuch as they are natural enemies OF the
rabbits. It was thought that they might accom-
push something. Unfortunately, they did more
harm than good, having as keen an appetite for
poultry us for the animals they were expected
TO devour-
| RABBIT KILLING
has become a regular and very profitable occu-
patton in Australia and New Zealand. . good
| rabb;tar hs;no ah,s ~ ..cnra f,or, 90 . =,