The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-09-08

| tive action for their destruction was be-
| gun in South Australia and the ex-
ample was soon followed by New South
| Wales, New Zealand, Queensland and
| Tasmania. At the present time their
range in Australia is probably equal in
area to that OF our three largest states
Texas. California and Montana Mil
lions of dollars have been spent for
bounties, for poisons and in various
other methods of destruction; thou
sands OF miles Of rabbitproof fences
have been built and hundreds of
schemes for destroying the animals
have been suggested, but nothing has
yet been found that will effectually ex-
terminate the pests.
Natural enemies, such as cats and
other carnivorous animals, have been
introduced, and in certain parts of
New Zealand at least have become al
most as much Of a pest as the rabbits
they were intended to kill. In 1887 TO
less than 19,1S2.53s rabbits were de-
stroyed in New South Wales alone but
despite the efforts of the government
and private land owners the rabbits
seem to be still Increasing. In the
meantime a great industry has grown
up in the export of rabbit skins For
the last five years New Zealand has
been shipping an average Of about 10
100000 per annum, and since 1873 has
exported more than 200,000000. Re-
Gently canning rabbit meat for export
to European markets is assuming larger
proportions and gives promise of de-
veloping into an important industry.
Sable island, off the coast of Nova
Scotia has suffered from several
plaques of rats, and ii is said that the
first superintendent of the light sta
ton and his men were at one time
threatened with starvation owing to
the inroads made on their stores by
rats The common brown other
wise known as the wharf rat or Norway
rat, is of Asiatic origin and until 200
years ago was unknown in Europe or
America. In the tutumn of 1927 large
numbers of this species entered Europe
by swimming across the Volga and
gaining a foothold in the province of
Astrakhan, in eastern Russia, spread
westward over central Europe. Five
years later they reached England by
vessels from western India. They ar
rived on the eastern shores of the Unit
ed States about 1T75 and by 1856 were
abundant at several ports on the Pa
cific coast. The black rat was the
common house rat of Europe in the
middle ages and was introduced into
the new world about 1874. or more than
200 years earlier than the brown rat
In Porto Rico and some other islands
the black rat has taken to living in the
crowns Of cocoanut trees, to which lat
Ter III does great damage by biting or
the unripe nuts, upon which it feeds.
Similarly, the rats in Jamiaca are
said to have been driven to the trees
by the monsoose, which was intro
duced in 1872 for the purpose of de-
stroying these pests of the sugar cane
Nine were imported four males and 4
five females, and they increased with
such rapidity that soon they had
spread to all parts of the island, even
to the tops Of the highest mountains.
AS rat-killers they passed expectations.
but, as the rodents diminished, they
took to attacking other animals, in
Guiding young pigs. kids, lambs, kit
tens, puppies. poultry, gound- nesting
game birds, Lizards, snakes. frogs and
land crabs. Also they ate bananas,
young corn. sweet potatoes
and cocoanuts. Thus before long the
mongoose proved itself a nuisance far
worse than the enemy it was intended
to combat.
In various parts Of the world domes-
tic dogs run wild and have become |
serious pests, devouring sheep and in |
other ways making themselves a NUS |
ance. On the Galapagos islands they |
have helped largely to exterminate the |
gigantic tortoises native TO that group, |
making a habit of waiting for the eggs |
to hatch and then devouring the baby |
turtles.